Why the Trail Blazers have the most underrated young core in the entire NBA

The Blazers and general manager Joe Cronin have navigated their rebuilding process well. There may have been a few questionable decisions, most notably the overall handling of the Damian Lillard trade request. They still have assets to flip that they acquired from the Lillard and subsequent Jrue Holiday trade, but as of now, they didn't maximize their potential return for either of the star guards.

To Cronin's credit, he has done a great job of being patient with their rebuild and not immediately trading away valuable assets like Jerami Grant and Anfernee Simons. And despite the hurdles, they have netted top-ten picks the past three seasons, which turned into Shaedon Sharpe (selected No. 7 overall in 2022), Scoot Henderson (No. 3 in 2023), and Donovan Clingan (No. 7 in 2024).

Trail Blazers have multiple rising stars

Former Kentucky head coach John Calipari has said that Sharpe would have been the No. 1 overall pick had he decided to stay an additional year. That could have been the case in typical years, but it seems unlikely with generational talent Victor Wembanyama headlining the 2023 NBA Draft. Still, the Blazers landed a steal in Sharpe, who could have a third-year breakout in Portland.

The Blazers also found tremendous value in Clingan, their more recent No. 7 overall pick. According to NBA insider Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports, the Atlanta Hawks, who picked No. 1 overall, reportedly narrowed their decision between Zacharrie Risacher and Clingan.

Then, there's the newly acquired Deni Avdija. In 2020, now Blazers assistant general manager Mike Schmitz, who was working for ESPN at the time, said that Avdija "deserves to be in that conversation" of the consensus top tier of draft prospects from that year's class, which was James Wiseman, Anthony Edwards, and LaMelo Ball.

Avdija was ultimately selected No. 9 overall by the Wizards. But the main point is to highlight the upside on the Blazers' roster. Between Henderson, Sharpe, Clingan, and Avdija, they have multiple players 25 years or younger who could have easily been a top-three or four draft pick in their class.

Toumani Camara is a key piece in Blazers' rebuild

Then, there's the most under-the-radar player in their young core, Toumani Camara, who was recently called the Blazers' best-kept secret for next season by Bleacher Report's Grant Hughes. The NBA players agree with Hughes, as last season Camara received votes for being the most underrated player in an anonymous NBA player poll released annually by The Athletic.

Down the road, the Blazers could have a potential starting five of:

• PG: Scoot Henderson

• SG: Shaedon Sharpe

• SF: Deni Avdija

• PF: Toumani Camara

• C: Donovan Clingan

That starting lineup has incredibly athletic guards, an elite defensive frontcourt, and a do-it-all forward in Avdija as the piece to glue it all together. That's not even accounting for who they could get as part of a Simons or Grant deal. Or, more importantly, who the Blazers select in 2025, where they will have another top-ten pick in all likelihood.

Admittedly, their young core is outside the league's top tier, as they need an established All-Star. But that also keeps them under the radar and makes them a dark horse to watch out for in the coming seasons as these players continue to develop.