We went 42-and-40. We beat Phoenix in the play-in on our floor, Moda Center shaking like it was 1992. Then San Antonio took us out in five. It stings. It's supposed to sting. But I've been watching this team since the Drexler era, and I'm telling you — what's coming next is different.
The 2025–26 Trail Blazers overachieved by every external metric — and underachieved by every internal one. We know that. A 42-win season when Vegas had us at 36.5 wins is a statement. Making the playoffs through the play-in is a statement. Losing to the second-best team in the West in five games is not an embarrassment — it's a measuring stick. Now we find out what this front office is actually made of.
THE CORE THREE — LOCKED IN
Before we talk about what might change, let's be clear about what won't: Scoot Henderson, Shaedon Sharpe, and Deni Avdija are this team's foundation for the next half-decade. These three are not trade chips. These three are not salary filler. These three are the reason this rebuild is working.
"Scoot Henderson will be a top-5 point guard in the West by Christmas — and the national media will act like they saw it coming."
— The FCP Take, Vol. 1 Issue 1
Year 3 is when the switch flips. We saw it with Damian. We saw it with LaMarcus. Scoot spent two years absorbing NBA speed and now he's fully adjusted. His finishing rate at the rim jumped 11 points last season. His turnovers dropped. His clutch moments got louder. When training camp opens in September, the conversation nationally will still be about OKC and San Antonio. Good. Let them sleep.
Shaedon Sharpe dropped 22 in the fourth quarter of the play-in game. On our home floor. With the season on the line. That's a different player than the one who was coming off the bench two years ago. He's a big-moment scorer who hasn't reached his ceiling — and at 22 years old, we haven't seen his floor either.
Deni Avdija is the corner three that sealed Game 2 in San Antonio. The defensive rotations that never make a highlight reel. The veteran presence at 23. He's the glue — the player who makes Scoot and Shaedon better just by being on the floor. Criminally underrated nationally. Not here.
WHO WE'RE RUNNING BACK
Jerami Grant — The Question Mark
Grant's $24 million salary is the biggest roster decision of the offseason. He provides veteran leadership, can guard positions two through five, and stretches the floor for Scoot's drives. The question is whether his contract value matches his production going into his age-32 season. This is the name watch all summer.
Anfernee Simons — The Sixth Man Problem
Simons at $23.5 million is the most interesting surplus in the Western Conference. He's too good to be a sixth man on a contender, but Portland doesn't need two ball-dominant guards in the starting five. Expect his name in trade conversations by June. This isn't a dig at Ant — it's math.
Robert Williams III — When He's Healthy, He Changes Everything
Time Lord changes Portland's defensive ceiling when he's on the floor. The problem is "when he's on the floor" — his knee maintenance situation needs a clear summer answer from the training staff. If he's healthy and ready for October, we're talking about a top-10 defense next year.
WHAT WE ACTUALLY NEED
The offseason decisions made between now and October will define whether 2025–26 was a springboard or a ceiling. The core is young, controllable, and hungry. But three things need to happen:
1. A veteran big who can protect the paint. Robert Williams needs a backup who doesn't ask him to play 38 minutes. Someone who can guard the four and the five, set screens, and stay out of Scoot's way. The name circulating internally: a physical forward who plays minimal offense but wins the dirty work battle every night.
2. Three-and-D depth on the wings. Deni can't defend the other team's best player every single night for 82 games plus playoffs. Portland needs one more wing who can play 18–22 minutes, shoot 37% from three, and not require the ball.
3. Draft-and-develop on June 26. Portland holds their own first-round pick. Depending on the lottery results, that pick could be 8 through 14. Cronin's track record says he'll take the best player available. Trust the process.
"This front office doesn't do panic moves. And that's exactly why this rebuild is working."
— The FCP Take
The work starts now. And we'll be here for every step of it — every rumor, every workout, every move. Rip City doesn't take summers off. Neither do we.
This is Vol. 1, Issue 1 of Full Court Press: The Rip City Edition. New issues drop every week. Subscribe free below — we'll never spam you, and you can unsubscribe any time.