Trail Blazers may already have next hidden gem on their roster

The Portland Trail Blazers already made a major splash this offseason between the shocking trade for Washington Wizards forward Deni Avidja and the No. 7 overall selection of Donovan Clingan. There are a few established players besides Malcolm Brogdon for whom the Blazers could explore trades, including Anfernee Simons, Jerami Grant, and Deandre Ayton (all starters and their three highest-paid players for next season).

While they are all owed a substantial amount this upcoming season, the Blazers don't necessarily need to trade any of them for financial reasons, at least in the short term. They have no reason to rush another deal after trading away a veteran guard in Brogdon to clear minutes for their up-and-coming backcourt and, perhaps more importantly, get under the luxury tax.

Although this clears the way for rising stars Scoot Henderson and Shaedon Sharpe to get more minutes, a few overlooked Blazers players who still fit Portland's timeline deserve more of the spotlight as they go about their rebuilding process. Two-way wing Toumani Camara stands out as one of the most under-the-radar players, not only for the Blazers but the entire league.

Blazers have a future starter in Toumani Camara

The Blazers acquired Camara as a "throw-in" part of the Deandre Ayton-Jusuf Nurkic deal between the Blazers and the Phoenix Suns. Camara was reportedly a focal point of the deal, as the Suns didn't want to part ways with their recent draft pick. In retrospect, it makes much more sense why Phoenix was reluctant to include Camara in the deal.

Taking into account Camara's contract ($1.9 million next season) compared to Ayton's ($34 million next season), Toumani has a solid case to make as the most significant asset to come over from the Suns in that deal. Camara fell all the way to the No. 52 overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, as teams were concerned about his lack of upside due to his combination of age and experience entering the draft (he's now 24 years old and entering his second season).

However, a major and, at the time, valid concern surrounding Camara as a prospect was his inability to space the floor, which is essential in order to succeed in today's NBA. In his four collegiate seasons (two at Georgia, two at Dayton), Camara averaged a measly 31 percent from beyond the arc.

He drastically improved all the way to being considered a league-average shooter in the NBA, connecting on 33.7 percent of his attempts with Portland. Assuming a similar percentage is here to stay in his sophomore campaign, Camara is looking like a steal for the Blazers.

The Blazers should seriously consider moving Grant because he's the oldest player on their roster at 30 years old and also the second highest-paid player, which isn't an ideal combination for a rebuilding team looking to bottom out this upcoming season. But the fact that Camara is such a pleasant surprise and capable of starting as early as next season further supports the notion that Grant should be traded as soon as the Blazers and Cronin find a reasonable offer.