Blazers continue to look genius after Toumani Camara exacts revenge on Suns

Before the Play-In Tournament, the Phoenix Suns probably regretted sending Toumani Camara to the Portland Trail Blazers in the Damian Lillard mega-trade in 2023. After the rising star helped the Blazers upset the team that drafted him on Tuesday to steal the No. 7 seed, the Suns' remorse may have only grown.

Some viewed Camara as merely a throw-in in the blockbuster deal. However, there were reports that Phoenix didn't want to include him in the package. The Blazers, though, may have seen the youngster's potential, and evidently, they made the right assessment.

Camara may have had a hand in sending the Suns home

The Suns have one more opportunity to keep their season alive, as they will face the winner of the Play-In Tournament bout between the LA Clippers and Golden State Warriors. Still, they might not have expected to be in a do-or-die match after securing seventh place in the Western Conference after the regular season.

Perhaps it's poetic that Camara, who has continued to prove that Phoenix should have held onto him two-and-a-half years ago, was key in Portland's win on Tuesday.

Looking at the box score, it didn't seem like "The Shadow" had a nice outing — just eight points on 3-9 shooting from the field and 2-7 from three, five fouls, and a plus/minus of -6. What stood out was his four steals.

However, his defensive performance deserves credit. He hounded Suns superstar Devin Booker, who scored just six points in the second half and got shut down in the clutch.

Camara will continue to play a pivotal role in the playoffs

What's even more impressive about the third-year pro is that he has complemented his All-Defensive prowess with an ever-improving offense. He has featured more in the Blazers' offensive sets, and he turned into an efficient, high-volume 3-point shooter during the latter stages of the 2025-26 campaign.

Sure, Camara didn't have that much of an impact on offense against his former team on Tuesday. But it remains to be seen if he can redeem himself on that end of the floor once Portland's first-round series against the San Antonio Spurs begins. Considering that it will be his first foray into the playoffs, the possibility of seeing him struggle on offense should be understandable.

On the other hand, Camara can still prove his value with his defensive capabilities. The Spurs have a plethora of shot-creators at the guard and wing positions, and he should be able to deal with any of them with ease.

It will also be interesting to see if Blazers coach Tiago Splitter decides to mix it up a bit by tasking the Belgian native to cover Victor Wembanyama on some possessions. Based on what we've seen of him so far, it wouldn't be surprising if he excels at that assignment, too.

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