The Portland Trail Blazers now have two distinct timelines, with Damian Lillard set to return next season. With the closing windows of Lillard and Jrue Holiday aligning with the arrival of aggresive new owner Tom Dundon, a summer blockbuster to build off their first playoff appearance in five years suddenly makes perfect sense. That is, if it's for the right star.
Portland has a promising young core, meaning they shouldn't make an aggressive move just for the sake of it. They must find the perfect two-way fit, and the star who best fits that mold is Los Angeles Clippers wing Kawhi Leonard.
Here is what Portland's ideal starting five could look like next season with Leonard in the picture:
PG: Damian Lillard
Lillard's starting spot is far from a guarantee, given his age and the severity of his injury. That said, Portland's backcourt has surprisingly become the biggest question mark in their rebuild, with Scoot Henderson and Shaedon Sharpe showing flashes but also dealing with growing pains and inconsistent play.
To build on their playoff appearance, Portland needs Lillard's veteran experience. He may not return to his full form, but this version of the Blazers' roster no longer needs to rely on him to that extent.
SG: Jrue Holiday
Portland is expected to receive trade interest for Holiday this summer. But there's a reason why he's such a coveted asset: this dude simply wins wherever he goes. That two-way impact was on full display in his first season with the Blazers, and it shouldn't come as a surprise that it coincided with their first playoff appearance in their rebuild.
Holiday may no longer be the player or athlete he once was, but that championship experience, basketball IQ, and positional versatility are still incredibly valuable in Portland. We see the case for selling high on a productive season to better align with the timeline of their young core. But in this scenario, Portland lands Leonard, making Holiday an integral piece to keep as they look to make a deep playoff run.
SF: Kawhi Leonard
Leonard may not be the most realistic star trade target for the Blazers. In fact, he's expected to command a similar trade value to that of Giannis Antetokounmpo, which is understandable after having one of the best seasons of his career in Los Angeles.
But that doesn't mean the Clippers should make him untouchable. They have already committed to a retool after shipping James Harden and Ivica Zubac at the deadline. After securing the No. 5 overall pick in the draft thanks to the Indiana Pacers' unnecessary risk that backfired, the Clippers have even more incentive to embrace a rebuild.
Portland has a plethora of young assets and draft capital to make it happen, and they should have Leonard at the top of their list, given his seamless two-way fit and floor spacing ability. He's exactly what Portland needs as a co-star for Deni Avdija.
PF: Deni Avdija
In this scenario, Portland still has Avdija initiating the majority of the offense as a point forward. Only they finally have reliable floor spacing for the one player who led the league in drives per game. Leonard and Lillard would take plenty of the offensive burden off him, potentially even elevating this team to contention status, thanks to their sudden amount of star power.
It's a fine line for Portland to balance with Avdija's star ascension. They want to continue building around him as the new face of the franchise, but this postseason also showed that they need a true 1A option to compete with the Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs in the postseason.
On the court, Leonard is as low-maintenance a superstar as they come. In general, this would still be Avdija's team, which would be huge as they continue to invest in his growth after an All-Star breakout campaign.
C: Donovan Clingan
The Blazers have doubled down on their defensive identity during this rebuild, and never would've done so successfully had it not been for landing their elite defensive anchor in the 2024 draft class. Clingan rewarded Portland's belief in him, having a breakout campaign of his own as a starter after Deandre Ayton's justified departure.
He still has areas for improvement, particularly becoming less matchup-dependent as he develops a post game and becomes relatively better at holding his own defensively on the perimeter.
That said, Portland has to be absolutely thrilled to land a building block and a clear starting center of the future in a weak draft class. Clingan has been as advertised with his physical tools, rebounding, and rim protection. He's somewhat underrated offensively, thanks to his court vision and surprising three-point shot.
Portland may still need to address its frontcourt depth this summer, but it shouldn't overthink the starter after the promising year Clingan put together.
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