Overall, the 2025-26 season was a successful one for the Portland Trail Blazers. Despite the first-round playoff exit, they made tremendous strides both in terms of player development and evaluation. Deni Avdija's star ascension played a huge role in that, finally providing Portland's rebuild with the star it had been desperately missing over the past few years.
At the same time, the Blazers know they still need to continue addressing their relative lack of star power compared to the rest of the Western Conference juggernauts. Now, to further elevate their ceiling to become contenders, they need to find Avdija a co-star.
This first offseason under new owner Tom Dundon presents a golden opportunity to address that problem externally. In particular, Portland will closely monitor the situation surrounding the Milwaukee Bucks and Giannis Antetokounmpo. They could either acquire the Greek Freak directly or help facilitate a trade to land a different star from the team acquiring Giannis (think Karl-Anthony Towns, Jaylen Brown, Evan Mobley, etc.).
But what if Portland already has that star solution on its roster? They could solve Avdija's co-star problem internally, with Damian Lillard's return.
Damian Lillard is the perfect fit for Deni Avdija
"Me and Dame had conversations throughout the year," Avdija said at the exit interview. "He has a lot of things we need. We both have mutual goals and we love each other's games. I think we can do great things together, for sure."
Avdija continues to improve as a point forward, initiating more of the offense with his well-rounded skillset. That turned out to be a key reason Portland was able to make the postseason despite being one of the most injured teams in the league, as he filled so many of the gaps required on that particular night.
It's also a testament to the Blazers for envisioning this version of Avdija, not only when they stole him from the Wizards but also in the way they've brought him along. They embraced his reckless, downhill attacking style of play, living with the inevitable turnovers as part of the growing pains, as they continued to prioritize the bigger picture.
Blazers need more floor spacing for Deni Avdija
The next step in that process is to surround Avdija with complementary pieces that allow him to play to those strengths. Avdija ranked in the top ten in drives and potential assists, but Portland didn't take advantage of that enough due to its poor floor spacing.
"We need to be a better shooting team," said Lillard. "When you've got a guy like Deni who's getting downhill, that's going to generate good shots."
Adding more shooting was also a point of emphasis by general manager Joe Cronin at the exit interview. Fortunately, the Blazers will be adding the 3-Point Contest champion into the equation in Lillard. That was a significant win not only for Lillard but also for Portland, proving that he remains an elite shooter after the Achilles tear.
What version of Damian Lillard will Portland get?
Better yet, they'll be adding Lillard into the mix on a team-friendly deal. It was front-loaded in a sense, as the Blazers had Lillard on the books for $14 million this season while he continued his patient rehab. They'll benefit from that next season, with Avdija and Lillard combining for just $26 million.
If Lillard can return to form, the Blazers will have a serious financial advantage with their co-stars. At the very least, Lillard will provide Avdija with much-needed floor spacing, which should help him continue his upward trajectory after a breakout season. And if Lillard comes back to the player he was in his first stint in Portland, the league could be in trouble.
The storybook return was emotional for everyone involved, but this season also proved that the Blazers genuinely need Lillard's offensive firepower. He's the perfect on-court fit for what this team has been missing.
It's a lot to ask of someone coming off such a brutal injury this late in his career. But if Lillard can become that missing co-star for Avdija, the Blazers might have enough star power for a deep playoff run next season.
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