Blazers Starting Lineup Projections After Jrue Holiday Trade

The Portland Trail Blazers are slated to trot out a very different starting lineup from the one that began the 2024-25 season.

This past season, the first game of the year was led by the starting group of Toumani Camara, Jerami Grant, Deni Avdija, Deandre Ayton, and Anfernee Simons.

At first glance as we look at this upcoming year, Avdija and Camara appear to be the only two that will be yet again in the starting five. Ayton (Los Angeles Lakers) and Simons (Boston Celtics) are elsewhere, and Grant at this stage in his career looks like he'll be jettisoned to the bench.

The acquisition of Jrue Holiday shook things up considerably as it pertains to this upcoming year. Suddenly, the prospect of competing for a play-in playoff spot doesn't appear all that farfetched.

Here's a look at the projected starting five for the Portland Trail Blazers ahead of the 2025-26 seaon.

Guard: Scoot Henderson

This is finally the moment where Henderson needs to realize his potential. He's out from under the shadow of Simons without any real competition for his spot remaining on the roster. There's a real dilemma in Portland given the roster constuct.

It's rather apparent that Camara, Avdija, and Donovan Clingan are locked-in starters no matter what. Between Henderson, Holiday, and Shaedon Sharpe, this is where things get dicey. Henderson is the best facilitator of the group — and Portland does need someone to get their scorers the ball. Holiday is the proven veteran with gravitas and a defensive mindset that will fit with this group.

As for Sharpe, he could as a result become the dynamic scorer off the bench with Grant as an admittedly formidable duo. Circling back to Henderson, he should be given every opportunity to play freely through mistakes. The upside is there — and he may be able to realize it now in more of a solidified role.

Guard: Jrue Holiday

As mentioned above, Holiday will be the veteran force amidst a young group that will likely need steadying at times. He's a perfect fit in that he won't hunt his own shot — though can score when asked.

Defensively, the cultural add is marvelous. Holiday aligns supremely well with the prowess demonstrated by Camara, and to a lesser degree, Clingan. Given his age and the respect he brings to the table, starting him over the defensively-challenged Sharpe makes sense.

Forward: Toumani Camara

Camara developed into a very good player last year — and potentially the most valuable player on the roster from a league-wise perspective.

The 6-foot-7 forward was named as a Second Team NBA All-Defense member. With quick hands, a strong base, and supremely gifted instincts, he's the type of stopper good teams need when combating an opposing elite wing scorer.

Forward: Deni Avdija

Similarly, Avdija enjoyed a career year. He averaged 16.9 points a night on 47.6 percent from the field. Avdija also gained invaluable experience this past summer as the leader of Team Israel in EuroBasket.

The next step in his progression is being a guy Portland can run its offense through. He plays with terrific energy and effort, and he's a consistent 3-point shot away from averaging north of 20 points a contest.

Center: Donovan Clingan

Clingan is someone the fan base should be very excited about. His underlying analytics indicate a center that could one day be the best rim-protector in the sport.

As he got more playing time towards the end of the year, he produced at a very high clip. Clingan is a massive body with better athleticism than one would assume. In 19.8 minutes per, he averaged a whopping 1.6 blocks and 7.9 rebounds. Now imaging those numbers if he's averaging close to 30 minutes a night.

In this scenario, Sharpe would be the de facto Sixth Man coming off the bench to do that he does best — score. Grant is another player who can light it up on any given night. There is a world where Sharpe and Grant could start in the backcourt alongside Holiday or Henderson.

However, with Henderson's profile as a true point guard, it would be best to give him a real chance at developing into a good NBA point guard. Sharpe and Grant lead a deep bench mob also featuring the likes of Robert Williams III, Kris Murray, Matisse Thybulle, Rayan Rupert, and Yang Hansen.

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