Portland Trail Blazers: Starting lineup, rotation after Lillard trade

The rest of the Blazers’ rotation after Lillard trade

The idea that Anfernee Simons wouldn’t start for Portland seems crazy, and it may end up that his seniority wins out. Yet for as good of a scoring threat as Simons is, he doesn’t have the on-ball creation to be a full-time point guard and he is generously listed at 6-foot-3. He looks like a long-term sixth man.

Thybulle is also a lock to be in the rotation; Billups and the front office both seem to really like him, and he is a defensive playmaker who can sow lineups together on that end. The Blazers seem like a lock to sign a center such as Bismack Biyombo, but for now, Moses Brown will get a few minutes as Ayton’s backup.

From there, things get more interesting. There aren’t a lot of veterans left, which means it’s a youth movement to fill out the rotation. Does Billups lean toward Jabari Walker or Kris Murray to play backup forward minutes? Walker was a surprise as a rookie but Murray has greater offensive upside.

The rest is a grab bag of raw prospects that Billups is unlikely to insert into the rotation unless he is forced to. That includes Toumani Camara, who came over in the Lillard trade, and rookie Rayan Rupert, on the wing. Their minutes likely increase as the season goes on.

Things will continue to change as Holiday and Grant are eventually traded, but for now, this is the roster and how the starting lineup and rotation might shake out.