Toumani Camara had a slow start to the 2025-26 season, raising questions about whether the Portland Trail Blazers were right to extend him to a four-year, $82 million deal. Fortunately, Portland's two-way wing has recently addressed those concerns.
Camara is coming off his best game of the season, recording 30 points (10-12 FG, 8-10 3Pt, 2-2 FT), three rebounds, one assist, and three steals in a 135-118 win over the Philadelphia 76ers.
A career-high in points was surprising, but a solid performance wasn't. He's become much more reliable on the offensive end, gradually increasing his scoring average each month: from 11.5 points per game in October to 15.6 in February.
The most significant development is that Camara is finally finding the "3" in 3-and-D wing. He hovered around 32% in the first two months, improved to 38% in the past two months, and is currently at 44.7% in February -- a small sample size inflated by his 30-point outing, but encouraging nonetheless.
Toumani Camara is finally living up to his extension
The fact that Camara is trending upwards should make Portland's front office much more confident about their decision to invest in him for the long haul.
The Blazers locked down both Camara and Shaedon Sharpe prior to the season. Although Camara was more impactful in winning last year, it was Sharpe who received the larger contract at four years, $90 million. That was to be expected, as these extensions are largely about projecting player performance over the coming seasons, where Sharpe's higher upside gets the nod. But it also exposed a concern regarding Camara's extension and whether Portland invested in someone at their peak.
Camara was more of an NBA-ready prospect, and there was a reason he fell to the No. 52 overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft. It was possible he had plateaued, which became increasingly likely after seeing his slow start to the season, largely due to his shooting regression.
That was even more problematic considering Portland's roster. The Blazers dealt with multiple injuries in the backcourt, forcing them to rely on Camara for a larger role. That may have contributed to his rough start, as the Blazers were asking him to do too much and play outside of his comfort zone. It's not a coincidence that Camara's best game of the season was also the first time Deni Avdija and Scoot Henderson played together. The pressure is off him to make plays, and it's ironically helping his shot creation.
Camara remains a building block in Portland as he's an elite role player and exactly the type of fifth option a contender needs. He's sliding back into his natural role, and it's resulting in the best basketball of his career. Camara trending upwards and the Blazers' roster getting healthier go hand in hand, and it's just what they need to make a playoff push.