If you’ve been with us throughout this journey—from No. 50 Robin Lopez to No. 11 Geoff Petrie—you know what a ride our Top 50 All-Time Portland Trail Blazers Player Rankings have been.
With only our top 10 ahead, it’s officially crunch time, which, as always, is where you’ll find true stars and legends shining above the rest.
*Check out Part 1 of OSN’s All-Time Trail Blazers Player Ranking to review our complete voting method.
**Special thanks to every OSN voter: Arran Gimba, Casey Mabbott, Jared Wright, Nick Bartlett, Ben McCarty, Reese Kunz, John Howard Friemark, Mo Damtew and Bryant Knox.
Portland Trail Blazers All-Time Top 50 Player Rankings
Nos. 50-41
50. Robin Lopez, C
49. Dave Twardzik, PG
48. Joel Przybilla, C
47. Kenny Carr, PF
46. Kermit Washington, PF
45. Tom Owens, C/PF
44. Sam Bowie, C
43. Dale Davis, C
42. Steve Johnson, C
41. Steve Blake, PG
*Click here to read about Nos. 50-41.
Nos. 40-31
40. Billy Ray Bates, SG
39. Kenny Anderson, PG
38. Isaiah Rider, SG
37. Steve Smith, SG
36. Danny Ainge, G
35. Jusuf Nurkić, C
34. Anfernee Simons, SG
33. Bonzi Wells, SG/SF
32. Andre Miller, PG
31. Wesley Matthews, SG
*Click here to read about Nos. 40-31.
Nos. 30-21
30. Lloyd Neal, PF/C
29. Bob Gross, SF
28. Calvin Natt, SF/PF
27. Brian Grant, PF/C
26. Larry Steele, SG/SF
25. Nicolas Batum, SF
24. Mychal Thompson, C
23. Scottie Pippen, SF
22. Rod Strickland, PG
21. Lionel Hollins
*Click here to read about Nos. 30-21.
Nos. 20-11
20. Damon Stoudamire, PG
19. Sidney Wicks, PF
18. Kevin Duckworth, C
17. Zach Randolph, PF
16. Kiki Vandeweghe, SF/PF
15. Buck Williams, PF
14. Jim Paxson, SG/PG
13. CJ McCollum, SG/PG
12. Arvydas Sabonis, C
11. Geoff Petrie, SG/PG
*Click here to read about Nos. 20-11.
*All stats are from the player’s time with the Trail Blazers, not their total career stats.
Nos. 10-1
*Note: All stats listed below apply only to a player’s time in Portland.
10. Jerome Kersey, SF
Years: 1984-1995
Games Played: 831
PPG: 12.1
RPG: 6.1
APG: 2.1
HI RK: 6
LO RK: 18
Jerome Kersey’s story is one Trail Blazers fans can feel good about.
On the court, Kersey was a key cog for Blazers teams that went to two Finals in three years (1990, 1992). His best season was 1987-88 when he averaged 19.2 points and 8.3 rebounds per game and was ranked in the top five in Most Improved Player votes.
Off the court, few players seem to evoke such positive memories to this day. I can’t tell you how many people I’ve met who want to talk hoops, but then as soon as Kersey comes up, things shift from stats and Finals runs to charitable events or local watering holes he’d frequent.
Overall, Kersey went from a small town to a small school and then from a second-round Portland pick to a staple of the Portland community. His death in 2015 was sudden and sad for all of Rip City, which was a testament to what he meant to everyone so many years later.
9. Clifford Robinson, SF/PF/C
Years: 1989-1997
Games Played: 644
PPG: 16.2
RPG: 5.2
APG: 2.1
HI RK: 6
LO RK: 11
Sadly, Clifford Robinson represents another Trail Blazer gone too soon and someone whose death made you realize how much he meant to Rip City even 23 years after he left the team.
Uncle Cliffy’s spot on this ranking—one spot ahead of Kersey—makes sense. Or at least, it’s fitting, considering he went from Sixth Man of the Year in 1993 to an All-Star in ‘94, ultimately replacing Kersey in Portland’s starting lineup.
After 644 games played in Portland (No. 6 all-time to this day), Robinson sits No. 8 in three-pointers made and No. 7 in total steals. He ranked in the top 10 in every one of OSN’s votes except one, and he nearly cracked the top 5 twice with two separate sixth-place votes.
8. Rasheed Wallace, PF/SF/C
Years: 1996-2004
Games Played: 544
PPG: 16.8
RPG: 7.0
APG: 2.0
SPG: 1.0
BPG: 1.3
HI RK: 5
LO RK: 10
Few players throughout Trail Blazers history have played the heel as well as Rasheed Wallace while also remaining a fan favorite.
If you think about sports and entertainment at the time, WWE and its “Attitude Era” were crossing over into mainstream media. Sheed was an NBA player with an “Attitude Era” persona, and while not everyone loved it (that’s the point of a heel), most flocked to it every night he was on TV.
Of course, playing the heel had real-life consequences. Setting a now-unbeatable record for technical fouls in a season isn’t ideal. Throwing a towel in the face of Arvydas Sabonis is beyond a bad look. Becoming one of the faces of the Jail Blazers is something that leaves a sour taste in the mouths of some to this day.
Overall, it seems many, if not most, can look back and think about sequences like The Miracle Minute or the multiple deep playoff runs Portland got out of the Sheed era. That sweet, silky jumper is still fresh in minds across Rip City, too.
There’s no need to pretend Sheed was perfect during his time in Portland, but his impact was also undeniable. There’s a reason this team was as close to the Finals as it was in the late ’90s, and Rasheed is one of the biggest.
7. Maurice Lucas, PF
Years: 1976-1980, 1987-88
Games Played: 330
PPG: 15.6
RPG: 8.7
APG: 2.5
SPG: 0.7
BPG: 0.8
HI RK: 5
LO RK: 16
There haven’t been many players in our rankings worth spotlighting how close they were to another spot. But this is one.
Maurice Lucas checks in at No. 7, just one single voter point ahead of No. 8 Rasheed Wallace for the honor.
As OSN’s Casey Mabbott puts it: “There is no championship trophy in the building without Lucas, and that’s not up for debate.”
Knowing how close-but-no-cigar Sheed got to a Finals appearance, you can see how the ring plays a role. As Mabbott states: “Before his fight in the Finals (usually figurative, but not this time), the Blazers looked to be cooked down two games to none. Lucas had simply had it with Darryl Dawkins and wanted Chocolate Thunder to know who ruled this court.
“The 76ers may have been full of stars, and they were the team everyone expected to win, but Luke wasn’t having it. He didn’t just send Dawkins to the deck; he sent their whole team in for next season.”
THAT is what it means to be The Enforcer.
6. Brandon Roy, SG
Years: 2006-2011
Games Played: 321
PPG: 19.0
RPG: 4.3
APG: 4.7
HI RK: 4
LO RK: 12
Few players in NBA history have had a nickname fit them better than “The Natural” did for Brandon Roy.
Everything Roy did on the court looked smooth. He made slow-motion isos and left-hand finishes seem easy. Just about every element of the game came across, well, naturally, with the ball in his hand.
In our rankings, Roy lands just one spot outside the Top 5. The truth, though, is that he’s a bit further away than it seems. You see, only 10 “voter points” separate No. 6 Roy and No. 9 Clifford Robinson. But when comparing Roy to No. 5—the player just one spot ahead of him—there are 17 total “voter points” between the two.
*For a reminder of our voting and scoring method, click here.
Of course, none of that is an indictment against Roy at No. 6. It is far from it. If anything, it’s a testament to the player who comes next on our list.
Someone in our rankings did give Roy top-five status, though. Here’s OSN’s Nick Bartlett:
“Roy cracks my top five because he was a killer during his stint in Portland. Roy had multiple games in the playoffs where he single-handedly carried the Blazers, most notably the 2011 Game 4 performance against Dallas. He also did his thing against Houston in 2009. I loved his crafty old-man game, which confused defenders.”
5. Terry Porter, PG
Years: 1985-95
Games Played: 758
PPG: 14.9
RPG: 3.5
APG: 7.0
HI RK: 4
LO RK: 11
Terry Porter’s spot here shows just how much of an impact he had on the Trail Blazers’ success during their Finals runs of the early-90s. As OSN’s Arran Gimba puts it: “Behind Dame, Porter is arguably the greatest point guard in Blazers history. He made two All-Star appearances, led the team to the NBA Finals twice, and he’s 14th all-time in assists in NBA history.”
The point guard position is something that can’t be glossed over. It’s arguably the most important position in basketball, and Porter played it both with proficiency and flair, which didn’t just make him a two-time All-Star.
4. LaMarcus Aldridge, PF/C
Years: 2006-2015
Games Played: 648
PPG: 19.4
RPG: 8.4
APG: 1.9
SPG: 0.8
BPG: 1.0
HI RK: 4
LO RK: 10
Before his Portland departure, LaMarcus Aldridge told the media he wanted to go down as the greatest Trail Blazers player ever. Of course, an eventual free-agency move to the San Antonio Spurs squashed that, but the truth is, the big man was on his way.
In the end, LaMarcus finishes No. 4 on our list comfortably between No. 5 Terry Porter and … more on No. 3 in a moment.
For now, let’s reflect on one particular playoff series: the 2014 first-round series against the Houston Rockets. LMA had Dwight Howard’s number in the first two contests—two games in which Aldridge averaged 44.5 points and 13 rebounds along with 2.5 blocks.
Aldridge has spoken on podcasts since retiring about how folks tell him to this day that the 2014 series is when they really got to know him.
For Portland, fans had known what he brought to the table for nearly a half-decade prior. They just wish they’d had a few more years when it was all said and done.
3. Damian Lillard, PG
Years: 2012-2023
Games Played: 769
PPG: 25.2
RPG: 4.2
APG: 6.7
HI RK: 1
LO RK: 3
The Trail Blazers’ all-time list is rich with fan favorites and players whose impact on the court and in the community has left lasting impressions.
And with respect to each and every one of them, the top three is where the true Blazers GOATs officially separate themselves.
From OSN’s Ben McCarty, who was one of two voters to vote Lillard No. 1: “Dame is the greatest offensive player in Blazers history, hands down. That’s not only from a stats standpoint, where he is the team leader in points scored and offensive win shares, but also historic moments, such as his playoff winner over the Rockets.”
“Lillard was never supposed to be any of that. As a middling guard out of Webber State, he was never expected to be in the conversation for the best Blazer ever. Then came “Dame Time.”
Of course, when Lillard left after his trade request in 2023—after years of loyalty for the team and the city that welcomed him 11 years prior—his legacy became “a ring away from the Greatest Trail Blazer of All-Time.”
As McCarty states: “Lillard was never gifted the exceptional supporting cast of some of his NBA peers, and yet he carried the team on his back for years. There are plenty of Blazers worthy of being lauded for their contributions to the team, but Lillard should stand alone at the top.“
2. Clyde Drexler, SG
Years: 1983-1995
Games Played: 867
PPG: 20.8
RPG: 6.2
APG: 5.7
HI RK: 1
LO RK: 3
Clyde Drexler received three No. 1 votes in our rankings, and I’m kicking it directly to one of them in OSN’s Jared Wright:
“The Glide, the sole blue-chipper on a team that made two Finals runs with a franchise-record 61-win season sandwiched between during an era that was just as competitive as this current day, is a true gentleman and community linchpin and one of the 50 and 75 greatest players of all time.”
Wright continues: “This screams GOAT Blazer to me. Clyde made my top spot because he had more longevity than Walton and more team success than Lillard. But it also felt like splitting the difference in this exercise of splitting hairs: If you value stats, Dame was the choice; If you value winning, Big Bill is your man. Clyde sits in the middle (like he does in these rankings—funny how that works out), and philosophically, I prefer the middle ground.“
1. Bill Walton, C
Years: 1974-1978
Games Played: 209
PPG: 17.1
RPG: 13.5
APG: 4.4
HI RK: 1
LO RK: 3
As a reminder of our voting methodology, a first-place vote was worth 50 voter points, a second-place vote was worth 49 points, and a third-place vote was worth 48 points.
Across nine voters, Bill Walton earned four first-place votes (the most from our group), and he beat out No. 2 Clyde Drexler by one single voter point when it was all said and done.
That’s how close this race was. Walton finished with 443 voter points, Clyde earned 442, and Lillard was given 438.
From OSN’s Arran Gimba: “Leading the Blazers to their first (and only) championship and being NBA Finals MVP will get you to the top of the list.”
That title in 1977 made Walton an icon, a legend, and everything in between in Portland. It’s something neither Clyde nor Dame could deliver, and it’s just part of what always made the Big Red Head feel so…Rip City.
As Gimba states: “With his Grateful Dead fandom, hippie style, and passion for riding his bike everywhere, was there a better person who personified Portland than Bill Walton? He could score, yes, but he was the ultimate quarterback of the team, passing to the correct player every time. His IQ was through the roof. To this day, I have not seen a better passing big man than Walton.”
Of course, “What if?” is a question you can’t help but ask with Walton. Yes, that applies to the Trail Blazers franchise, which was primed to become a dynasty. But it’s also one of the bigger “What if?”s in league history. Walton, with that score-pass-defense combo, was tracking to challenge—if not pass—fellow UCLA Bruin Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for the title of the world’s greatest center.
That’s a debate that, with the right fortune, would still be out there today. But as one of the league’s initial 50 Greatest Players Ever, it’s safe to say most view Bill Walton’s career not as a “What if?” but as a what would have been.
Rest in peace to one of the greatest to ever do it.
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