1 Question for every Trail Blazers player as crucial summer approaches

Deandre Ayton, Jabari Walker, Duop Reath and the Portland bigs

Deandre Ayton

Ayton is facing the same question he's faced since he entered the league: Can his flashes of dominance show up on a nightly basis?

Jabari Walker

Walker had an up-and-down second NBA season, but the ups showed just how valuable the 21-year-old can be. His minutes more than doubled this year and he jumped from 3.6 ppg last year to 8.9 in '23-24. He also averaged 6.5 rebounds, 2.0 of which came on the offensive end.

He played well enough to earn a starting spot and averaged 12.5 points and 8.8 rebounds with shooting splits of 52/38/77 over an 11-game stretch from late December into January.

The question: Can Walker play that well, or at least close to it, on a consistent basis?

Duop Reath

Reath had a breakout age-27 season that was recognized across the league, not just in Portland. He earned himself a nice three-year deal after playing nearly 18 minutes a game and shooting 38 percent from three as a backup stretch five.

His minutes and production have taken a dip in March, though.

The question: Can Reath continue to produce and be a true backup center as teams learn how to defend him?

Moses Brown, Ibou Badji

Brown and Badji's question is the same as Hagans and Minaya's: What can they do this offseason to prove they belong on Portland's roster, or at least earn a two-way contract?

Robert Williams III

Can Williams stay healthy? When he's on the floor, he's one of the best defensive big men in the NBA and would help the Blazers tremendously. But he's rarely healthy. So maybe his question is already answered.