The Portland Trail Blazers were able to steal Toumani Camara in the Jusuf Nurkic-Deandre Ayton swap with the Phoenix Suns. Although Camara was just the No. 52 overall pick, he was anything but a throw-in. Portland did its predraft homework on Camara and was adamant on him being included in that deal. Two seasons and one All-Defensive Team selection later, we are seeing why that was the case.
This was all part of the blockbuster Damian Lillard trade, which has already looked genius for general manager Joe Cronin and the Blazers. But the exciting thing to consider regarding this deal and Camara in particular is that they bought low on him as a player.
Toumani Camara is just scratching the surface for Portland
Camara may never become the go-to option on a contending team -- the Blazers still have to find that giant missing piece to their rebuilding puzzle. But what they do have in Camara is an elite role player. He's already someone who is an absolutely perfect fit as the fourth or fifth best option on a playoff team. That's a great foundational piece for the Blazers to build around. And he only continues to get better.
He's already emerged as a key piece in their rebuild and one of Portland's best players thanks to his two-way prowess and 3-and-D skillset. However, there are more layers to Camara's game that have yet to be unraveled. He hinted at this being the case during Blazers media day:
"This was a summer where I was fully healthy and didn't have the predraft stuff. I was able to just work on my game and become a more mature basketball player," Camara said.
Camara finally received national recognition last season. He led the league in charges and was the most essential reason Portland was a top ten defense towards the end of last season. That should continue heading into 2025-26, especially after the moves the Blazers made this offseason. But what many don't realize is that there's more to Camara's game that is yet to be unlocked on the offensive end.
Toumani didn’t stop after team practice, he kept grinding long enough that we’re still waiting for his interview.
— Victor Sun (@Victor_S7709) September 30, 2025
Looks like he just can’t turn it off. pic.twitter.com/97PWGFa0LC
Last season, Camara averaged 11.3 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 2.2 assists on 46/38/72 shooting splits. That was a significant improvement from his rookie season. You have to consider that Camara was a big man at the collegiate level -- he not only had to adjust to the speed of the NBA, but he also had to do it while playing an entirely different position.
Camara is evolving into someone who can become more of a playmaker and generate some of the offense. The Blazers are going to need more help on the offensive end this season, particularly with Anfernee Simons now in Boston. Camara is still improving on that end and will be able to help fill some of that void.
Many have wondered where the Blazers will be able to generate offense from after their moves this summer. Perhaps the answer lies in the internal improvement of their existing young core, with Camara being a big part of that.
It's clear Portland already won this trade because of Camara's impact. And with his ceiling yet to be defined, the extent to which they fleeced the Suns keeps growing.