The Portland Trail Blazers are at a crossroads in their rebuild, attempting to balance two distinct timelines. They've held on to veterans for far too long, to the point where it's come full circle, as they should now be kept around to help their win-now timeline build on the first playoff appearance of this rebuild.
Portland has even more incentive to lean into that win-now timeline with Tom Dundon taking over as the new owner, given his high expectations of establishing a winning culture. They should be better than their 42-win season going forward, thanks to Damian Lillard's return and any additional external moves they make as a team that could be aggressive buyers this summer.
The downside of leaning into that timeline is that it has to come at the expense of their youth, whether that's in terms of developmental minutes or cutting players from the roster entirely. Regardless of what happens this offseason, these are the two young players Portland must continue to invest in.
Yang Hansen
Yang Hansen was the talk of Summer League, showcasing the flashes of upside that made Portland willing to take the high-risk, high-reward draft gamble. Unfortunately, that led to an underwhelming rookie season relative to expectations. Hansen's success didn't translate to the regular season, as he struggled to adjust to the speed and physicality of the NBA.
That said, it's easy to see the vision for what the Blazers at least hope Hansen will become. His elite basketball IQ and court vision, paired with positional size, crafty footwork, and a soft touch around the rim, give him potential as an offensive hub.
Considering he's just 20 years old and a first-round draft investment, Hansen deserves the benefit of the doubt. Portland must be patient with his development before any thoughts of pulling the plug.
Sidy Cissoko
Sidy Cissoko was one of the bright spots in the Blazers' season, going from an overlooked two-way signing to playing in 75 games, 26 of which he even started. Portland converted his contract to a standard one, and he'll now have another season to prove his value to be considered a long-term piece of their young core.
Cissoko's player archetype is incredibly valuable as a 6-foot-6 wing capable of guarding multiple positions. The only thing holding him back is a reliable three-point shot, as he connected on just 29.8 percent of his attempts beyond the arc this season.
But at 22 years old, Cissoko continues to trend in the right direction on that path to becoming a more complete two-way player. He'll have to improve on the offensive end to earn a more permanent spot, but considering what he showed this past season, it's far too early for Portland to cut ties.
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