Fantasy Basketball Exit Interview: Trail Blazers' playoff run is over, where do they go from here?

The Trail Blazers got bounced in five games by the Spurs, but don't let the first-round exit fool you — Portland is a team trending upward with real fantasy assets worth targeting. For fantasy basketball managers, understanding how the team performed is valuable. Whether you're running a dynasty squad or prepping for the next draft season, these insights matter. Let’s recap the Trail Blazers’ season and look ahead to 2026-27.

The All-Star: Deni Avdija

Avdija had a career year, averaging 24.2 points, 6.9 rebounds and 6.7 assists per game. His usage rate hit nearly 30%, resulting in elite volume that earned him a 12th-place finish in High Score fantasy points per game. But in 9-cat leagues? Eighth-round value. The culprit is turnovers — Avdija tied the league lead in turnovers per 36 minutes at 4.1 and his stocks are limited for a player with so much floor time and usage. In points leagues, he's an easy early-round pick for the raw counting stats, but know your format before drafting him.

The supporting cast and backcourt watch

Donovan Clingan was one of the best young big men in fantasy this season. He averaged a double-double while finishing fifth in blocks per game at 1.7. His ADP is going up next year after closing as a fourth-round value in 9-cat formats. That’s a bit too high for me, but I’d be down after Round 5.

Scoot Henderson is the most intriguing name coming out of Portland. He missed the first 52 games with a hamstring tear before catching fire late. His 31-point, 11-of-17 performance in Game 2 against the Spurs made him the youngest Trail Blazer to score 30 in a playoff game. It looks like having Jrue Holiday and Damian Lillard around is helping his game. That’s great for his long-term outlook. However, we can’t forget about Dame. He missed the entire season recovering from a torn Achilles. But he’s returning next season, so seeing how this backcourt unfolds will determine Henderson's fantasy value.

The misses worth learning from

Shaedon Sharpe was the biggest fantasy miss. Carrying an ADP at 83rd overall in the preseason, he finished 161st despite dropping a career-best 20.8 points and 1.4 steals per game. A calf strain that revealed a stress reaction in his left fibula limited him to just 50 games. Plus, turnovers were costly mistakes that didn’t offset his assist rate. He’ll need to prove he can stay healthy before picking him before the 10th round.

Holiday was drafted 105th and finished 110th — a slight miss, as calf issues trimmed his assist and steal production. He remains a good player, but he’s declining from a fantasy perspective.