Young Blazers See Bright Future After Playoff Exit; Splitter Considered for Full-Time Coaching Role
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The Portland Trail Blazers left San Antonio on Tuesday night disappointed by a Game 5 defeat that ended their first postseason run since 2021, yet key youngsters Toumani Camara, Scoot Henderson and Deni Avdija said the experience clarified the franchise’s direction.
“Now we have more of a clear view of what we can do and what we can accomplish,” Camara told reporters. “We have a lot of talent … I’m just very excited for what we’ve got coming.”
Portland reached the playoffs despite a turbulent 2025/26 season that included head coach Chauncey Billups being placed on indefinite leave after an opening-night arrest on illegal-gambling charges and a series of injuries across the roster. “We battled all year,” Camara said. “It’s only positive things and nowhere to go but up from here.”
Coaching Search Begins
Interim coach Tiago Splitter earned strong reviews for steering the club through the turmoil. “As far as I’m concerned, Tiago did an amazing job,” veteran wing Matisse Thybulle said in a KOIN News interview. Several players have voiced support for making Splitter the permanent coach, according to The Rose Garden Report.
Key Offseason Questions
Securing a full-time coach tops Portland’s to-do list, but roster decisions also loom. Robert Williams III and Thybulle can enter free agency, while Henderson becomes eligible for a rookie-scale extension, ESPN’s Bobby Marks noted in his offseason primer.
New majority owner Tom Dundon is viewed as a wild card. Since taking control, he has drawn criticism for cost-cutting moves yet recently expanded his investments in professional pickleball. How aggressively he pushes the Blazers this summer remains uncertain.
Analysts identify Camara, Avdija and rookie center Donovan Clingan as the franchise’s core, with outside shooting cited as the roster’s primary need.
Columnist Bill Oram, once skeptical of the club’s direction, wrote that the 2025/26 campaign should be considered a major success given the obstacles overcome and the promise displayed by the young nucleus.
Source: Hoops Rumors
