Portland Trail Blazers: Diving Into The Depth

As Simons has been traded to the Boston Celtics, Henderson will be Jrue Holiday‘s understudy next season. As Holiday’s a two-time NBA champion, two-time All-Star and six-time All-Defensive selection, this mentor-student dynamic should be beneficial for the 21-year-old. Of course, nine-time All-Star Damian Lillard can still provide some sort of tutelage despite the fact he’ll sit out the entirety of 2025-26. With that in mind, Henderson is still seen as Lillard’s successor and he wants to live up to expectations.

So far as the other backcourt spot, 6-foot-6 shooting guard Shaedon Sharpe practically has it locked up. As Billups demoted Sharpe to the second unit due to his defense last season, there’s always the chance that the Blazers will look elsewhere. Yet, their depth at the position suggests otherwise.

Sharpe’s primary backup will probably be former San Antonio Spurs guard Blake Wesley, who inked a one-year deal with the Blazers. At 22 years old, he still has loads of potential, but has a career scoring average of 4.3 points per game. Rayan Rupert is another project for Portland, but he had some promising flashes at Summer League, making him a breakout candidate. Two-way player Caleb Love could also make some noise, but he will probably play more in the G League with the Rip City Remix.

Portland’s Wing Depth is Impressive

Portland’s wing depth is impressive because it could help them compete on the same level as top teams. To reiterate, Camara and Avdija look to be the long-term starters in the forward slots. It could be argued that veteran Jerami Grant still deserves a spot. However, he’s been injury-prone in recent seasons and his play was particularly disheartening in 2025-26.

Apart from those three players, the Blazers still have 28-year-old Matisse Thybulle, who’s known for his game-changing defense. They also have Kris Murray, who hasn’t improved much but may not be a finished product at 25 years old. 2023 No. 44 pick Sidy Cissoko is an unknown commodity, but he has solid physical gifts. If they can give him the right development, the Blazers might have found another steal.

The Blazers’ Depth at Center is Rock-Solid

After they parted ways with former No. 1 pick Deandre Ayton, Clingan became the Blazers projected starter. To be clear, springy shot-blocker Robert Williams III remains on the roster. Yet, his injury history makes him too unreliable and Portland has him on the trade block. In any case, with Clingan as the starter, the coaching staff has a defensive anchor they can trust.

Portland also has Yang Hansen, who was the 16th pick in the 2025 Draft. Though Chinese prospects haven’t had a lot of NBA success, people are raving about his potential. As he’ll be a rookie, the 2025-26 season likely won’t be his breakout campaign. However, the big man could have big games when given the minutes. Duop Reath is also a quality backup for the Blazers, so they will have a center rotation that’s four players deep.