The Portland Trail Blazers roster is messy as they continue stockpiling assets at this stage in their rebuilding process. For instance, after selecting Donovan Clingan as the No. 7 overall pick, they have four centers on their roster. However, an even more pressing issue is that they will likely have to bench one of their previous top ten picks, Scoot Henderson or Shaedon Sharpe.
Players like Anfernee Simons and Jerami Grant remain heavily involved in trade rumors. Grant isn't taking away a starting role from a player of Scoot Henderson or Shaedon Sharpe's caliber like Simons is, but he is also the oldest player on the Blazers' roster at 30 and doesn't fit their timeline.
Portland is a long way from contending in the competitive Western Conference, meaning getting all the assets they can for established pieces as they continue the youth movement makes sense. As a result, their 2025-26 starting lineup could look much different than next season's projected lineup.
PG: Scoot Henderson
Henderson could start next season if the Blazers decide to have Simons take on starting shooting guard duties. But if he doesn't start next season, Scoot should at least be a starter in 2025-26. The Blazers could move Simons or Grant, opening up a starting spot for whoever is the odd man out between Henderson and Sharpe. Deni Avdija has great positional size as a 6-foot-9 forward and could slide to the power forward position if the Blazers move Grant. But the easiest solution would be to move Simons.
Portland and general manager Joe Cronin have made it clear that the Blazers' future backcourt is Henderson and Sharpe. But Simons is arguably the team's best player and is someone they must start. Given his age, productivity, and reasonable contract, he is also expected to have high trade value around the league.
Henderson had a rocky start to his rookie season, missing out on NBA All-Rookie Team honors despite being the No. 3 overall pick. However, guards typically take longer to transition to the NBA, and Scoot's end-of-season stretch was much more encouraging. He may not start at the beginning of this upcoming season, but Henderson could earn his way into a starting role by the end of next season if he continues building off his productive and more efficient run post-All-Star break.
SG: Shaedon Sharpe
Sharpe appears more likely to start over Henderson if one of Simons or Grant doesn't get traded before the start of the regular season. He has more experience in the NBA, is now entering his third season, and has shown flashes of his elite potential when healthy. Sharpe was limited to only 32 games last season due to a core muscle injury but averaged 15.9 points per game in that span.
Many expected Sharpe to have a breakout sophomore season, but he is poised to have it in his third season. If Sharpe produces at a high level, as many expect, it will be extremely difficult for head coach Chauncey Billups (or whoever ends up being the coach in 2025-26) not to start Sharpe. He has arguably the highest ceiling of any Blazers player on their roster, and it would be a disservice not to make Sharpe one of the main pieces of their rebuilding efforts.
Henderson and Sharpe should get significant minutes next season regardless of who starts, but it would be shocking if both of them don't get the keys to the franchise by the 2025-26 season at the latest.
SF: Deni Avdija
Deni Avdija is the most likely Blazers player to start next season and 2025-26. One of Henderson or Sharpe projects to come off the bench in a sixth-man role next season, barring a trade before training camp. Three projected starters, Simons, Grant, and Ayton, could be moved before the 2025-26 season. That leaves the newly acquired Avdija as the safest bet to be a consistent Blazers starter going forward.
The Blazers traded significant assets to acquire him, moving Malcolm Brogdon and two first-round picks. But at 23, Portland has found a long-term starting forward, which they desperately needed. Avdija will likely never be an All-Star level player, but he's an excellent third or fourth piece on a championship-level team.
The issue is that he's one of the Blazers' best players; they still need to acquire a superstar to pair with Avdija in the coming seasons as they continue their rebuild. The 2025 NBA Draft is an excellent opportunity to find that star-level talent to take some of the pressure and offensive burden off of Avdija.
Nonetheless, he's a versatile forward with a well-rounded game—his size, ballhandling, playmaking, rebounding, defense, and significantly improved shooting will help elevate the overall talent level of the Blazers' young core.
PF: Toumani Camara
Whether this summer or at the trade deadline, it seems more likely than not that the Trail Blazers will move on from 30-year-old Jerami Grant, who doesn't fit into their rebuilding plans. In a perfect world, the Blazers' power forward spot would be occupied by Duke's Cooper Flagg, the top prospect in the 2025 NBA Draft who stood out amongst NBA competition on the USA Select Team.
Portland will likely do everything in its power to land the No. 1 pick in 2025. However, the three teams that finish with the worst record still only have a 14 percent chance of landing the top pick. Flagg or another draft prospect could fill the power forward spot, but the most likely outcome is Toumani Camara.
Camara showed great promise during his rookie season as a 3-and-D wing and was arguably the Blazers' best defender besides Matisse Thybulle. He'd be an elite role piece who can contribute without needing the ball in his hands, allowing Henderson, Sharpe, and Avdija to take on the majority of the playmaking responsibilities in the starting lineup.
C: Donovan Clingan
The Blazers' center position is challenging to predict, as Deandre Ayton could still be in the picture in the 2025-26 season. He's still under contract for next season but will be owed $35.5 million. That's a significant difference from Donovan Clingan's rookie deal, who will be on the books for only $7.2 million that year. It is a matter of when, not if, Clingan will get implemented into the Blazers' starting lineup. Still, it makes sense for Portland to keep Ayton around this season if they don't find the right trade for him.
If Clingan's Summer League performance was any indication, he should be an elite rim protector and rebounder on day one in the NBA. But he also needs time to improve his conditioning and adjust to the speed of the NBA before he plays starter minutes. For instance, Clingan only averaged 22.5 minutes per game during his sophomore season at UConn.
Next offseason would be an excellent opportunity to move Ayton before they potentially risk letting him walk after the 2025-26 season for nothing. Between Camara and Clingan, the Blazers would have an intimidating defensive frontcourt, which would complement their more offensive-minded backcourt.