Deni Avdija: Deni Avdija has become the Blazers franchise player very quickly, The 25-year-old forward is averaging 24.3 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 6.7 assists as of press time in his second season in Portland. Avdija was rewarded for these stellar numbers this season, being named an All-Star for the first time in his career.
General Manager Joe Cronin acquired Avidja in June of 2024, when the Blazers traded Malcolm Brogdon and the 14th overall pick in that draft to the Washington Wizards in exchange for him. In his first season in Portland, Avdija was very impressive, averaging 16.9 points, 7.3 rebounds and 5.8 assists. His 2024-25 campaign gave fans a glimpse of his potential, especially with his improvement throughout the season and his elevated play post all-star break.
This season, he has taken a huge leap, and is the favorite to win the NBA Most Improved Player award. Recently Avdija has dealt with a lingering lower back injury that has held him out of a handful of games the last couple of months. He suffered the injury on Jan. 11 at home against the Knicks, where he headed to the locker room late in the fourth quarter. He returned in a 20-point home win against the Indiana Pacers on March 8.
Shaedon Sharpe: High flying guard Shaedon Sharpe has also risen to the occasion in a big way this season. Although his regular season is likely over with a fibula fracture, he put up a career-high scoring average this season, averaging 21.4 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 2.6 assists.
Additionally, Sharpe has improved his three-point shooting and defense, attributes he struggled with earlier in his career. Sharpe has been a highlight machine this season, as many of his dunks continue to go viral on social media. Many consider him to be one of the NBA’s most entertaining players to watch.
The Blazers drafted Sharpe with the seventh pick in the 2022 draft and since then his numbers have had a steady improvement every year. Last offseason, the Blazers extended him on a four year, $90 million dollar rookie contract extension to keep him in Portland for the foreseeable future
Toumani Camara: Belgian forward Toumani Camara picked up where he left off last season, as he continues to improve both defensively and offensively. Camara was essentially a throw-in to the Damian Lillard trade in 2023. The Suns picked him with the 52nd pick in that draft and during the time of the trade, Camara was hardly talked about as an asset the Blazers were receiving.
Since that trade, Camara has been amazing in Portland. The 2025 second team all-defender is posting averages of 12.9 points, 5.4 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and 1.1 steals per contest. Now regarded as one of the league’s best defenders, Camara is leading the NBA in offensive fouls drawn, and is on pace to shatter the single-season record after leading the league in charges last season as well.
Similar to Sharpe, the Blazers extended Camara last offseason, in which he received a four year, $82 million dollar contract extension.
Donovan Clingan: 7-3 center Donovan Clingan has taken a huge leap in his second season. Clingan is averaging 11.8 points and 11.5 rebounds while also leading the NBA in offensive rebounds, amassing a total of 256 and averaging 4.6 a game.
The Blazers drafted him with the seventh pick in 2024 when he was coming off back-to-back NCAA championships at UConn.
He also has refined his three-point shooting, connecting on 33.5 percent of his outside shots, knocking down a total of 64 threes this season. Clingan has been a key contributor, and has been vital for Portland’s success defensively, averaging 1.5 blocks per game.
Scoot Henderson: The third pick in 2023, Scoot Henderson entered the league with heavy expectations. To this point in his career, he hasn’t fully matched them, but guards tend to start their careers slowly and improve as they get used to the pace of the NBA game.
Before this season, Henderson tore his left-hamstring and missed the first 51 games, returning on Feb. 5 versus the Memphis Grizzlies. Since his return he is averaging 12.9 points, 2.9 rebounds, 4.5 assists per game. Fans have hoped that under the guidance of the veteran guards on the team like Damian Lillard and Jrue Holiday, Henderson can blossom into what many believed he could be coming into the draft.
