The Portland Trail Blazers have endured many challenges and tough decisions over the past two years. It hasn't always been pretty, but they are quietly assembling one of the league's most promising up-and-coming rosters. After selecting in the top ten in the past three drafts, the Blazers are in the midst of an encouraging rebuild with young players filled with a ton of upside in Shaedon Sharpe, Scoot Henderson, and Donovan Clingan.
The Blazers still need a superstar to lead their rebuild and are in an excellent position to find that missing piece in the upcoming drafts. As a result, they could have a roster ready to compete for a playoff run five years from now when their young core enters its prime.
PG: Scoot Henderson
Last summer, No. 3 overall pick Scoot Henderson would have firmly been in the Blazers' ideal future starting lineup. But an underwhelming rookie season highlighted by the fact that Henderson missed out on NBA All-Rookie Team honors makes it a bit murkier.
Henderson averaged 14 points, 5.4 assists, and 3.1 rebounds per game, which are respectable averages on the surface for a rookie. But he was highly inefficient with 39/33/82 shooting splits and 3.4 turnovers per game; that is the last thing you want when constructing a dream lineup at the position that is supposed to be your floor general responsible for maximizing possessions.
There are concerns surrounding Henderson, and he has much to prove regarding his development this upcoming season. Young guards typically take longer to adjust to the pace, physicality, and competitiveness of the NBA, and Scoot was no exception. However, he also showed flashes of what made him the No. 3 overall pick and drastically improved as last season went on, particularly as a decision-maker.
Betting on the talent, athleticism, and potential, Henderson still is the Blazers' long-term point guard, even in an ideal scenario. But it's definitely not as clear-cut as many would have hoped and expected after selecting him so early in last year's draft.
SG: Shaedon Sharpe
Shaedon Sharpe was poised to have a sophomore-year breakout after his strong finish to his rookie season but was limited to 32 games after undergoing surgery for a core muscle injury. But Sharpe has shown enough in his two limited seasons to be still considered one of the focal points of the Blazers' rebuilding plans.
One aspect of his game that Sharpe will need to improve is his defense, both on and off the ball, but his athleticism and seven-foot wingspan suggest that he can stay in front of ball handlers on the perimeter and provide help defense in the paint.
Offensively is where Sharpe has All-Star potential. As he continues to improve as a shooter, it will be challenging for teams to devise a defensive strategy to contain Sharpe. He's not an elite playmaker, but he is a willing passer, which will increase in importance as he continues to improve as a scorer with double teams and help defenders coming more frequently.
On "The Lowe Post" podcast, ESPN's Zach Lowe identified his most intriguing players for the upcoming season, mentioning Sharpe. Lowe expressed confidence in Sharpe's long-term impact in the league, particularly on offense. "I was watching a lot of film on him today, and I came away from it even more optimistic about his development as some kind of elite offensive weapon down the line."
Sharpe is overdue for a significant breakout. He should be considered a part of their dream starting lineup five years from now and has an excellent chance of becoming the best player currently on Portland's roster.
SF: AJ Dybantsa
In this best-case scenario, the Blazers extend their rebuilding efforts for one more season of tanking and come away with forward AJ Dybantsa. He's currently the top-rated high school prospect and reclassified from the 2026 to 2025 class, meaning he will be eligible for the 2026 NBA Draft.
The Blazers already have a starting caliber forward in Deni Avdija, who they acquired from the Washington Wizards this offseason in the Malcolm Brogdon deal. Still, his upside is more limited than Dybantsa's, who has the potential to make multiple All-Star appearances. Avdija's versatility and well-rounded game would make him perfect for coming off the bench in a sixth-man role for a playoff contender, as he could spell multiple players and positions.
Dybantsa is 6-foot-8 and a talented three-level scorer who already has an excellent feel for the game and makes others play at his pace by changing speeds and finding optimal angles, somewhat similar to Luka Doncic in that sense. Carlos Boozer's son, forward Cameron Boozer, will also be in contention for the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. But Dybantsa gets the nod early on as his style of play as someone who can initiate offense gives him more potential to be a superstar at the NBA level.
If the Blazers are fortunate enough to add someone of Dybantsa's caliber in 2026, they can start accelerating their rebuilding process and try to contend for the playoffs in the 2026-27 season. It also helps that they have future first-round picks and swaps from the Milwaukee Bucks as part of the Damian Lillard deal, which could be extremely valuable due to the Bucks' aging roster. That would potentially give Portland more lottery picks even if they decide to compete for a playoff spot.
PF: Cooper Flagg
Duke forward Cooper Flagg should be included in the dream starting five for any rebuilding team that realistically hopes to land the No. 1 overall pick in next year's draft. Flagg has generated a lot of hype, which only increased after his standout performance with the Select Team that went up against Team USA.
Joe Vardon and Sam Amick ofThe Athletic conducted a poll to determine who was considered the best player on the Select Team during the Team USA training camp. Flagg received nine votes, which was the highest of any player, even though he is a 17-year-old playing alongside established NBA talent.
The Blazers should be ecstatic if they land Flagg, as he's the top-rated prospect in next year's draft, but an added bonus would be that power forward is currently the most significant long-term question mark on Portland's roster. 30-year-old Jerami Grant is currently the oldest player on the team and shouldn't be considered part of their rebuilding plans regardless of whether or not they decide to trade him soon.
At 6-foot-9, Flagg has excellent positional size and projects to be a versatile two-way wing at the NBA level. He also possesses elite skills as a three-level scorer who can get to his spots and shoot over the top of defenders, as well as a high basketball IQ to make the right reads as a passer. In other words, there are very few flaws in Flagg's well-rounded game despite still being a teenager.
Flagg would solve the Blazers' massive need for a superstar and immediately help get Rip City back in the playoff conversation. It would make it more challenging to land Dybantsa in the 2026 draft (hence this being a dream lineup), but that's a problem the Blazers would undoubtedly love to have.
C: Donovan Clingan
It may take a season or two for No. 7 overall pick Donovan Clingan to enter the Blazers' starting lineup. Deandre Ayton is still the better player and is under contract until the end of the 2025-26 season. Ayton could be moved before his contract is up, but it could be difficult to find trade value since he's owed nearly $70 million over the next two years.
Keeping Ayton around in the short term isn't the worst thing for Portland and Clingan's development, as it will give him more time to improve his conditioning until he's relied on to get starter minutes. Last season at UConn, Clingan only averaged 22.5 minutes per game. He could see something similar to that in his first season with the Blazers, but the starting job is eventually his for the taking.
In this dream scenario, Portland already has plenty of offensive weapons between athletic guards Henderson and Sharpe and versatile forwards Dybantsa and Flagg. Adding Clingan to anchor the middle as a 7-foot-2 big man with incredible rebounding and rim-protecting instincts would be the perfect complementary center, as he can significantly impact winning without demanding the ball.
This ideal starting five would have the perfect blend of playmaking, scoring, and defense, with Clingan leading the way on that end of the court. While it's extremely unlikely this lineup will ever come to fruition, it's encouraging that the Blazers already have three of the five players on their roster, along with what should be another top-ten pick next summer.