By
- Joe Freeman | The Oregonian/OregonLive
The 2025-26 Portland Trail Blazers season unofficially begins Sept. 29, when the team holds its annual media day at the Moda Center.
The rebuilding Blazers return most of the key young pieces from a roster that overachieved in the second half of last season, when the team went 23-18 to surprisingly finish with 36 wins.
But there are some new faces. A franchise icon is back. One of the best perimeter defenders in the league is joining the rotation. And a young Chinese phenom has arrived in the United States.
What will the Blazers look like in 2025-26? In an effort to bring you up to speed, we’re providing a daily snapshot of the roster as media day approaches. First up: Rayan Rupert.
Let the countdown to the 2025-26 season begin.
RAYAN RUPERT
Measurables: 6-foot-6, 195 pounds
Age: 21
Position: Guard/forward
2024-25 stats: 3.0 points, 1.3 rebounds, 0.5 assists
NBA experience: This will be his third NBA season
Contract status: Rupert is entering the final year of a rookie contract that will pay him roughly $2.2 million
Expected role: Backup wing
Outlook: Rupert played in 52 games last season, averaging 8.8 minutes, and it would take a rash of injuries or a surprise for him to carve out a larger role in his third NBA season. Rupert’s defensive ability, athleticism and length, which includes a 7-3 wingspan, are tantalizing assets for coach Chauncey Billups’ defensive-minded style. But Rupert’s limitations on offense, most notably his three-point shooting, have hindered his ascent — Rupert’s long-range shooting actually tumbled from 35.9% to 27.1% between his first and second seasons, even though he took 19 fewer attempts. He flashed scoring and playmaking ability in the G League last season, averaging 18.9 points and 3.4 assists in 11 games with the Rip City Remix, so the offensive ability is there. But barring monumental development, the No. 43 overall pick of the 2023 NBA draft seems destined to spend the season at the end of the Blazers’ bench.
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Senior Writer
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