The 2025-26 NBA season will be a big campaign for Chauncey Billups’ Portland Trail Blazers. People are already excited about their growth and the development of their young players. These improvements could lead to some surprise breakout players for Portland.<\/p>\n
The Portland Trail Blazers already have a strong core thanks to their young players. Toumani Camara<\/a> and Deni Avdija<\/a> have cemented themselves as building blocks. The same goes for high draft picks Scoot Henderson<\/a> and Shaedon Sharpe<\/a>.<\/p>\n Apart from those players, the Trail Blazers have some lesser-known names on the roster. They can take advantage of the opportunities this season to stand out and impress Chauncey Billups. The coach wants his system<\/a> to push through with players he loves.<\/p>\n Three players could be the best breakout candidates for the 2025-26 season.<\/p>\n Kris Murray<\/a> was the second Blazers draftee from the 2023 class. While Henderson has developed well, Murray has not had the big positives. He is a decent defender, but he tends to struggle offensively.<\/p>\n At 6’8″, Murray has all the physical tools to become a regular in the Blazers’ rotation. He needs to improve on offense if he wants regular minutes. In his two seasons, he has averaged 5.1 points on mediocre efficiency.<\/p>\n Advertised as a decent shooter in college, Murray has not been efficient in the NBA. He has shot 25.1% from beyond the arc in two seasons. However, his shot mechanics are good, so he needs to be in rhythm to be a Blazers breakout. He has also not looked comfortable with his shot, so he must work on finding the right spots. With the ever-improving Henderson<\/a> and Jrue Holiday<\/a> setting him up, he could raise his ceiling as a shooter. By doing so, he can match his twin brother’s shooting.<\/p>\n A second-round pick in 2023, Rayan Rupert<\/a> has been developing well in Portland. The Frenchman is a lanky 6’6″ shooting guard who can also move to the small forward position. Rupert has played limited minutes throughout his two-year career, but he has always been a project.<\/p>\n In Game 5 of last year against the Clippers, Rayan Rupert scored 7 points in 30 seconds to keep the Blazers in a game that was slipping away from them in the 4th quarter<\/p>\n Portland would steal the game for their second win of the season, in big part thanks to Rupes<\/p>\n 78 days. pic.twitter.com\/65Eg9wOVZi<\/a><\/p>\n — Blazers Lead (@BlazersLead) August 4, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\nKris Murray (Forward)<\/h3>\n
Rayan Rupert (Shooting Guard)<\/h3>\n
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