Ranking Portland Trail Blazers roster by future potential

Starter

This group can or has the potential to be one of the five best players on a contending roster and is capable of handling 30-plus minutes every night and into the playoffs. Some may be better suited to a sixth-man role, but they are still meeting the playing time threshold.

Rayan Rupert

The 2023 second-round draft pick is not part of the nightly rotation but is only 19 years old. His offensive game needs work, but the 6’6 wing profiles as a stout defender. He has time to blossom into a starter and key role player but must continue to improve.

Toumani Camara

The 23-year-old rookie is averaging 25.0 minutes per game and has started 19 of the Blazers' 28 games. He is one of the steals of the 2023 NBA Draft and could be a key starter for a decade-plus in the NBA. Camara was a massive get from the Suns in the Damian Lillard trade.

Kris Murray

The 23-year-old rookie is off to a bit of a slow start, but the Blazers would not have selected him 23rd overall if they did not believe he had starter potential. The 6’8 forward needs time to develop but is still, at least, four years away from his prime.

Robert Williams

Williams was a key starter for the Celtics in their 2022 run to the NBA Finals, but injuries have limited him since. The 26-year-old should just be entering his prime, but he has played just 41 games in the last two seasons combined. Can Rob Will bounce back? It is an impossible question to answer at this stage.

Malcolm Brogdon

Brogdon has thrived as a starter and a sixth man in his eight-year NBA career. The 31-year-old is nearing the end of his prime but remains a key role player. Multiple contenders will try to trade for Brogdon before the deadline, and the Blazers may decide to cash in if they can get a first-round pick in return.