It's always hard to tell which young players on a rebuilding team will actually turn out to be important parts of the team's longterm plans. The current iteration of the Portland Trail Blazers are no different. They have one young star, multiple talented young players, then multiple big question marks. But as of March 2026, here's how (I think) the Blazers' young players stack up regarding their longterm importance to the team's plans.
1. Deni Avdija
The obvious pick here. Avdija, whether you love his style of play or not, is the current cornerstone of this Blazers' team. A first-time All-Star this year, Avdija should also be the leader for Most Improved Player.
He paces the Blazers' offense, and the whole operation crashes when he's not on the floor. Avdija is under contract for two more seasons after this one and is set to make $24 million over the next two years, which may be a record low salary for a player producing at his level. This team likely needs a co-star to pair with Avdija for the longterm, but the centerpiece is obvious.
2. Donovan Clingan
It doesn't take long for this list to get controversial. The next two guys on this list both have legitimate cases for the No. 2 spot, but Clingan's improvements in year two (after a pretty good year one) are impossible to ignore. He's one of the best offensive rebounders in the sport (17.7% offensive rebound rate), an increasingly competent 3-point shooter, and a high-level rim deterrent.
Capable defensive centers can be found in many places. Real defensive anchors don't come around as often, and Clingan fits more into that second category than the first one. He's a game-changing presence, and the team is considerably better when he's on the court.
"Deni is obviously their guy that they're building around, and that's right, I would say. I think he's [Clingan] probably number two," said NBA analyst Sam Vecenie on the Game Theory podcast recently. Thanks to Sam for inspiring this piece — and for also being this high on Cling Kong.
3. Shaedon Sharpe
In his fourth season, on a more talented Blazers team than he's played on, Sharpe's score-first skillset has been valuable (and his efficiency has ticked up across the board). At the same time, though, it's becoming more clear that Sharpe's ceiling is likely a very good complementary scoring guard / wing than the main offensive option on a non-tanking team.
That's okay! That's still a positive outcome for Sharpe, and I believe he's done plenty to claim his spot in this team's longterm plans. Say what you want about pure scorers no longer being in vogue in the league, but smoeone who can create a shot as effortlessly as Sharpe will always be important to winning teams.
4. Toumani Camara
A drop in efficiency from Toumani in year three doesn't invoke panic inside my soul — because even when the shot isn't falling, he provides near All-Defense-level clamps on a nightly basis.
His offensive ceiling may be a little lower than fans wanted to believe, but Camara plays hard every night (and plays every night), and a defensive-minded wing who can shoot 3s at a respectable level will never go out of style. Camara is locked down through 2030, and the Blazers will never regret that decision.
5. 2026 first-round pick
This pick might not even exist, to be fair (it goes to the Bulls if the Blazers make the playoffs) but if it does stay in Portland, it feels like a big pick. Because the Blazers clearly want to compete next year, this is (hopefully) the last lottery pick for a while.
With numerous longterm holes still to fill (namely, a longterm athletic frontcourt option), a potential top 10ish pick in a great draft would do wonders and would give this front office a chance to potentially take a big-time swing.
6. Yang Hansen
Hansen hasn't really done anything positive on an NBA floor yet, so putting him above Scoot here could age poorly in a few years.
Two things can be true with Hansen; yes, it's slightly concerning that he appears very far away from becoming a real contributor in the league, and yes, that's probably what we should have expected from an ultra-raw an inexperienced big man.
But you don't have to think too hard to understand what the Blazers hope he becomes. A big man with elite footwork and incredible facilitation skills doesn't come around too often, and if Hansen can become something even close to Alperen Sengun of the Houston Rockets, that's a giant win. It's too early to claim that he can't do that.
7. Scoot Henderson
I want to be wrong here. Scoot Henderson was widely thought to be the second-best prospect in the 2023 Draft behind (and not that far behind) Victor Wembanyama, but he's about to finish his third season, and so many of the issues that plagued him as a rookie still haunt him today.
There are some reasons for optimism; Henderson has looked more comfortable getting to the basket since returning from injury this year, and he has five straight games in double figure scoring.
But as it stands, Henderson might be the odd man out longterm, and his minutes will probably fall next year with Damian Lillard in the mix. His team option has been picked up for 2026-27, but it already feels like we're speeding toward Henderson's departure in restricted free agency next summer.
8. Sidy Cissoko
One of the best stories of the season, Cissoko was a "why not" swing from the front office who paid off in a big way, and his two-way deal was converted to a standard NBA contract this year. Cissoko is a solid defender and cutter, and even if he's not a cornerstone piece, he's been a success story at all levels of the franchise.
9. Blake Wesley
Watching Blake Wesley play basketball is one of my favorite experiences as someone who covers this sport. He's in attack mode 110% of the time he's on the court. I also consider him a success story, and a major injury derailed a season that started off so promisingly. With a logjam at guards next year, his time in Portland may be winding down, but my hat is off to him for the few fun moments he provided.
10. Caleb Love
Erratic? Yes. Exciting? Also yes. If Caleb Love never plays for the Blazers again, he's already overachieved his undrafted free agent tag.
11. Kris Murray
Murray has been admirable filling in when other players are injured, but I don't forsee him on the team for much longer after 2026.