2025 May Be Deni Avdija’s Year

A main component of becoming a competitive NBA team is knowing when it’s time to shift gears — moving from tanking and stockpiling draft picks to actually competing for wins. The timing can make or break a franchise for the next decade. Push too early, and you trap your fanbase in a never-ending loop of losing with only brief peaks of mediocrity. Wait too long, and you’re stuck living in the land of what if — a feeling Trail Blazers fans know all too well. Success in the NBA usually starts with a simple truth: find your star or find a way to support the one you have. The Trail Blazers enter 2025–26 caught between both realities — they’re not entirely sure which side of the equation they’re on. The roster has undeniable talent and depth, but the question remains: will this be the year a franchise star emerges, or is Joe Cronin still searching?

If there’s one player with the potential to become a franchise cornerstone, it’s Deni Avdija. His transformation from the start of last season to post All Star break was like watching two completely different players. The leap he made in production, consistency, and most importantly confidence suggests he could be ready to take that next step. Deni’s ceiling is super high but we learned early last season that his floor could be low as well. Was the second part of the season a fluke or is averaging 21 points and 8 rebounds as he did in the last 30 games of the 24-25 season the new normal?

Toumani Camara’s impact is undeniable, but his skill set doesn’t necessarily scream superstardom. Shaedon Sharpe and Scoot Henderson are still in the running for the franchise crown, yet both have strides to make before living up to the potential that made them top draft picks. Damian Lillard would be the perfect answer this season, but with injuries and age catching up, it’s unclear what version of “Dame Time” we’ll see by 2026–27. For now, it’s Deni’s team until he proves otherwise — and this season is his chance to seize it with both hands.

If the next franchise star isn’t already on the roster, it’s far from a dead end for Portland. While they may not have the overflowing stash of draft picks Oklahoma City can offer, the Blazers still have an appealing mix — young talent with upside, contracts that can be moved in the right deal, and future first-rounders from Milwaukee that could draw plenty of interest around the league. A great example: The Houston Rockets had all the ingredients of a team on the rise. After years of developing their young core and building depth, they were ready to take the next step. Houston reached that moment and pulled the trigger, landing Kevin Durant. Overnight, they went from a team with upside to a team with expectations

Could a disgruntled star hit the trade market? Could an injury-ridden contender decide to blow it up? Or maybe, just maybe, a 2019 Kawhi Leonard–type situation presents itself — a one-year superstar rental that changes everything. In the NBA’s ever-shifting landscape, the future can turn on a single trade, and for the Blazers, the possibilities are endless.

The Blazers hold all the chips when it comes to shaping their future, and their timeline is as promising as it’s been in years. But to make the most of it, the timing has to be perfect — the kind of move that could define the next decade of basketball in Portland. So the question remains: is our franchise player already wearing a Blazers jersey, or will we have to go searching?