The One Thing the Blazers Still Need to Become a Contender

The Portland Trail Blazers have assembled one of the NBA's most promising young cores, but one challenge still stands in the way of their journey to contender status.

Apr 10, 2026; Portland, Oregon, USA; Portland Trail Blazers forward Deni Avdija (8) and forward Toumani Camara (33) react after a play against the LA Clippers during the second half at Moda Center. Mandatory Credit: Jaime Valdez-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Portland Trail Blazers have spent the last few years putting together a roster that has no shortage of depth and talent.

This offseason, they solved one of their biggest problems from last season. Portland hopes to make a deep playoff run, but they might not be ready to compete in a stacked Western Conference.

The next step for the Blazers isn't to make another blockbuster trade, or even to chase a veteran star. The most important thing for Portland is to determine which young players on the team are going to be a part of the team's long term foundation. Until the Blazers establish a clear hierarchy, it will be difficult to become a contender.

Development Has Created a Good Problem

Mar 23, 2026; Portland, Oregon, USA; Portland Trail Blazers guard Scoot Henderson (00) hugs teammate forward Toumani Camara (33) after scoring against the Brooklyn Nets during the second half at Moda Center. Mandatory Credit: Jaime Valdez-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

General manager Joe Cronin deserves credit for building a team that has a lot of upside. The Blazers have an impressive collection of talent, but the challenge is that they all need their share of minutes and opportunities. They have a lot of alphas, but not many role players to complement them.

The Blazers essentially have three players that could lead the team in scoring. Damian Lillard, Ja Morant and Deni Avdija have led their teams in scoring before, but it remains a mystery as to who will be the primary, secondary, and tertiary scoring options.

While players like Toumani Camara and Donovan Clingan have established roles, they need more players like that to allow the team to function at its peak. Every rebuild eventually gets to the point where difficult decisions have to be made. Portland does not necessarily need to trade away anybody tomorrow, but they need to use this season as an opportunity to understand who their future revolves around.

Gaining clarity on who is part of the future will allow the first year head coach Micah Nori to establish a solid rotation and will also affect contract decisions and future trade conversations.

The Timeline is Starting to Matter

Mar 23, 2025; Portland, Oregon, USA; Portland Trail Blazers guard Shaedon Sharpe (17), right, high fives center Donovan Clingan (23) before a game against the Boston Celtics at Moda Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Western Conference isn't getting any easier. Eventually fans and ownership alike will expect the team to make a playoff run. The Blazers have multiple players on the roster who are capable of leading winning basketball teams, in addition to others who have the talent to become winning players.

Portland just has to identify them and give them the opportunity to grow. The Blazers are likely a year or two away from being a true contender even if the amount of talent on their roster says otherwise. The acquisition of Ja Morant means that almost every player on the team will have a different role than they did last year. Combining this with Nori's new system means that there will be plenty of adjustments to make.

“We’re not going to be a team that sits around and hopes people miss. We are going to force them to make tough shots,” Nori said via Blazer's Edge reporter Conor Bergin.

“ ... Offensively, the easiest way to think of it is when the clock is moving, we’re moving. We’re not going to take it out, look over, get play calls, walk it up. I know that everybody says that, but we will do that, and we will do it with defined spacing.”

These adjustments will come with growing pains, but it will also give the Blazers clarity on who should stick around for the long haul and who should not. Based on recency, Avdija should be the team's top player given the fact that he was an All-Star last season while Morant and Lillard were nursing injuries, but all options are on the table.