The Portland Trail Blazers' building blocks have become clear over the past two or so seasons. Despite their top-ten draft investments in the backcourt duo of Shaedon Sharpe and Scoot Henderson, it's actually the frontcourt trio of Toumani Camara, Deni Avdija, and Donovan Clingan that has emerged as the key pieces for Portland.
Between Clingan's elite rim protection and the perimeter versatility Camara and Avdija provide, that's a great defensive foundation. But the problem is the Blazers' ceiling if these are their three best players.
Avdija is a legitimate star in this league who only continues to improve at 25 years old. He could take yet another leap in his third season with the Blazers, especially if he can shed the back injury that lingered at the end of the season.
But what are the realistic ceilings of his co-stars in this scenario, Camara and Clingan?
Deni Avdija's co-star isn't currently on this Blazers roster
We always say Camara is the ideal fourth or fifth piece on a contender because of his ability to impact winning without the ball. The same can apply to Clingan, as Portland has two players that should be in the All-Defensive team conversations for the next decade or so. But as Avdija's co-star to carry this team to contention, I just don't see it.
The main issue is on offense, where neither has shown signs of creating for themselves or teammates. Camara is best served as that 3-and-D role player. Clingan is an underrated passer for his position but not necessarily someone you want to run the offense through.
That issue got exposed in Portland's first-round playoff loss to the San Antonio Spurs. Once San Antonio's defense honed in on Avdija, there wasn't that consistent secondary option.
Blazers need an exit plan for their Ja Morant experiment
That's what the Blazers are hoping to find with this Ja Morant deal.
Jrue Holiday somewhat filled the void last season, and Damian Lillard's return will help, but these aging stars only provide temporary solutions to a problem that will continue to haunt this Blazers rebuild if left unaddressed.
Will Morant turn out to be a steal and actually emerge as that co-star for Avdija? It's feasible to see Morant benefiting from this change of scenery in Portland, especially playing alongside a respected veteran like Damian Lillard.
But if we're talking a co-star for Avdija to propel this team to contention -- genuinely competing in a seven-game series against the Spurs and Oklahoma City Thunder -- the answer is almost certainly no.
Portland needs an exit plan if Morant turns out to be a poor fit. They also need to be exploring who that next potential buy-low experiment could be. Polarizing stars are bound to hit the trade market by February's deadline. It wouldn't be surprising if the Blazers already need a new one by then.
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