2 Dark horse candidates to eventually break into the Blazers' starting lineup

2. Rayan Rupert

Rayan Rupert is only 20 and more of a developmental prospect than Camara. The Frenchman was selected No. 43 overall in the 2023 NBA Draft. He was ranked as the No. 17 overall prospect in ESPN's draft projections and seems to be a steal for the Blazers early on in his career. Rupert is still raw offensively; in his rookie season, he averaged 4.0 points, 2.4 rebounds, and 1.6 assists on 34/36/76 shooting splits. But he possesses tremendous potential and is a uniquely versatile player as a two-way point forward archetype.

Rupert has great positional size at 6-foot-6, which allows him to be a switchable defender; this could allow him to potentially play alongside Sharpe and Avdija in the starting lineup. In this scenario, the Blazers would decide to go smaller and slide the 6-foot-9 Avdija to the power forward spot; this would be compensated by the 7-foot-2 Clingan anchoring the middle and protecting the paint. But this potential lineup depends on Rupert reaching his ceiling, which seems to be multiple years away.

The Blazers may find their final starter to replace Grant in the 2025 NBA Draft. Portland is expected to be patient with its rebuild in hopes of landing a top draft pick next summer in a class that projects to have many promising prospects at the top, headlined by Duke's Cooper Flagg. However, the two players currently on their roster who are the most likely to develop into consistent starters are 2023 second-round picks Camara and Rupert.