Evolving from a defensive specialist into a high-volume perimeter threat, the All-Defensive standout now serves as the essential floor-spacing glue for Portland’s revamped, star-studded rotation.
Toumani Camara has spent three seasons making himself harder for the Portland Trail Blazers to take off the floor.
Portland's offseason might make his place in the lineup even easier to understand.
Camara started all 82 games last season while averaging 13.4 points, 5.1 rebounds and 2.5 assists, building on the defensive reputation that earned him an All-Defensive Second Team selection in 2024-25.
But his third season also showed why describing Camara as simply a defensive player doesn't really work anymore.
The 26-year-old made 219 3-pointers while shooting 37 percent from behind the arc, nearly doubling the 112 triples he made the year before.
That improvement matters for a Portland roster that now has even more players who will spend time with the basketball.
The Blazers acquired Ja Morant this summer, adding another creator to a group that already includes Deni Avdija. Damian Lillard is also preparing to make his return after spending last season recovering from a torn Achilles.
That's plenty of offense to account for before Camara's name even enters the conversation.
"Starting defensive stopper" might be the most accurate description of his role entering 2026-27.
That's subject to change, of course.
Camara can continue taking on difficult perimeter assignments while Morant, Lillard and Avdija carry more of the creation burden. He doesn't need a large number of possessions called for him to influence games, and his improved jumper makes playing him alongside Portland's new-look backcourt much easier.
Morant's arrival makes the latter particularly important.
The two-time All-Star is a career 31.1 percent 3-point shooter ... meaning Portland will have to be mindful of the shooting it places around him.
Camara attempted 7.2 threes per game last season and made enough of them to give Micah Nori another floor-spacing option without sacrificing one of his best perimeter defenders.
His four-year, $82 million extension — which begins this season — also leaves little question about how Portland views him after three years of development.
The question now is whether last season's offensive growth sticks.
If Camara remains a high-volume threat from behind the arc, Nori won't have to choose between keeping one of his best defenders on the floor and surrounding Portland's creators with shooting.
That could become especially valuable when the Blazers begin experimenting with different combinations of Morant and Lillard.
Portland's roster looks much different than it did when Camara arrived as an overlooked piece of the Lillard trade three years ago.
His responsibilities don't need to change nearly as much.
Camara has already established the defense that earned him a permanent place in Portland's lineup. Maintaining last season's shooting would make that place even harder to question.
