The Portland Trail Blazers impressively had five players land inside ESPN's top 100 player rankings heading into the 2026-27 season. It showed off their underrated depth after adding Ja Morant and Damian Lillard to the backcourt.
Quite frankly, it should even be six players inside that top 100, as two-way wing Toumani Camara was wrongfully snubbed. It may be difficult to understand general manager Joe Cronin's vision behind this roster at times, but there's no denying the amount of talent up and down it.
Still, these recent ESPN rankings served as a reminder that Portland isn't quite top-heavy enough.
The Blazers still need a co-star for Deni Avdija
Five in the top 100 is great in a league where depth is more important than ever under the new CBA. However, the gap between Avdija and the next-best player on this roster is clear in these rankings.
ESPN has Avdija at 27, which seems a little low considering he's coming off his first All-Star appearance. But the next-best player is Damian Lillard, coming in at 69.
Look, I'm as excited about Lillard's return to Portland as the next person. And while I wouldn't count out a return to form given his work ethic and patient rehab approach, it's also not something Portland should be relying on to this extreme.
Lillard should be viewed as a veteran they're bringing in to help address their floor spacing and turnover problems from last season. A bonus, or cherry on top, to complement a young core that has already proven it can reach the playoffs without him.
But it's that very gap between Avdija and Lillard, or whoever the Blazers' second-best player may ultimately be this upcoming season, preventing this team from reaching its contention ceiling. Avdija isn't a 1A superstar capable of single-handedly winning a playoff series. Portland must make up for that by finding him a strong co-star.
It's a somewhat disrespectful comparison to Jayson Tatum, who ESPN has ranked No. 9 heading into his injury-free season. Still, they need to follow that Boston Celtics championship blueprint, when Tatum had additional help in co-star (and 2024 Finals MVP) Jaylen Brown.
That's the piece the Blazers were missing in their first-round playoff exit at the hands of Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs. San Antonio's stout defense, anchored by the first-ever unanimous Defensive Player of the Year, made life difficult for Avdija's downhill game. With no shooting or playmaking options to help out consistently, Portland's offense stalled far too often.
Who knows, maybe that's where Lillard or Morant come in and fill the void this season. That's certainly the hope, bringing in these declining stars in hopes that one can return to form and bridge the gap in star power. But then again, depending on a 36-year-old Lillard coming off a brutal Achilles tear, or an injury-prone Morant who hasn't been close to his All-Star self in quite some time, is wishful thinking.
If these high-upside guards can't emerge as a true co-star for Avdija, the Blazers must consider external trade solutions by February's deadline to see if that missing piece is out there for the right price.
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