Le Journal

The Portland Trail Blazers are in a time of transition, growing out of a rebuild phase, arcing towards contention in a crowded, talented Western Conference. Rebuilding or contending? The Blazers are properly described by neither designation at the moment. The middle ground they occupy leads to a fair amount of uncertainty and frustration, but also great debate about the opportunities ahead of them. Recently in the Blazer’s Edge Mailbag we’ve gotten several versions of, “What do you think Deni Avdija’s future with the team looks like?” Avdija’s status–contractually and his role on the court–seems to be at the top of the minds of Blazers fans. Just as I was sitting down to think about the matter, I got another question from a reader named Paul, basically rehearsing a discussion we have almost every summer. He asked, “Which current players are still going to be with this team in three years?” Can you please help us send kids in need to see the Blazers play the Charlotte Hornets this March? Demand is great and time to donate tickets is winding down! See how you can donate tickets below!Donate tickets for local kids to see the Blazers! Like baking soda and vinegar, these two questions exploded when combined in my mind. I’m not going to try and answer either definitively here. That requires more thought and data. But I want to share a “What if?” and see what you think. This isn’t the ultimate scenario, but a starting spot to ponder. First, what if we narrowed down Paul’s question to the smallest core possible? There are reasons to like every player on this team. No doubt many of them will be with the franchise 3-5 years from now. That’s great! Without denying the possibility and general goodness of having any current player with the team long-term, let’s reduce the roster to the smallest subset that makes sense, individually and collectively. I’m going to assume that Avdija will make the list for most Blazers fans, so let’s start with him. To Deni, I’d add Toumani Camara because you’ll never be sad to have him in the rotation. With those two in the fold, I’m going to add a third player of specific utility who might not make the list for sure on his own, but already makes a nice trio with the other two: Donovan Clingan.  Emphasizing: I realize Clingan’s strengths and limitations. In the abstract, if the Blazers decided to trade him I wouldn’t scream. It would just mean they’re going with a different style of play than he provides. But in this scenario, I’m suggesting they retain Clingan specifically to play with Avdija and Camara. That’s my core. One more detail, dovetailing with the “Deni’s Future” question. Avdija is, at heart, a small forward, pressed into point guard duty by Portland’s current injuries. But what if he wasn’t? What if running the show becomes Deni’s permanent job? Let’s say over the next couple of seasons he calms down the turnovers (he currently leads the league in total turnovers committed) and shoots just a smidge better from the three-point arc. What have I got now? A 6’8 point guard who can score a ton while producing 7-8 assists and 7-8 rebounds per game, a mobile 3-and-D forward, and a huge, defensively-apt rebounding monster at center. What’s missing? A lot of offense. Camara and Clingan don’t contribute big numbers. That’s the obvious hole in the plan at this point. But I’m also missing a shooting guard and a small forward. Those are traditional hotbed positions for point production. I’m looking at Portland’s draft picks and swaps coming up over the next few years and thinking either by trade or organic drafting, I need to pick up one wing who can defend and score decently, a second who can score big whether or not he defends well. Then my starting lineup is more than set. This is doable. It’s also a lot cleaner than Portland’s current position. You know that five-point-guard experiment they’re running now, seeing who will stick? To heck with it all. One or two of those players might help over the…

Hey, want some positive transfer news? I have some! After a lengthy delay, presumably to secure a work permit, Tottenham Hotspur have announced the acquisition of left back Souza from Santos. We are delighted to announce that we have reached agreement with Brazil Serie A side Santos for the transfer of Souza on a long term contract ✍️🔗 https://t.co/ZSLXs7fFAf pic.twitter.com/YFoYVJSx4Z— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) January 22, 2026 It’s been a couple of weeks since we heard that the transfer was fully completed, and I think it’s safe to say that the delay was to secure a work permit for him coming from Brazil. Souza is a Brazil U17 international but has yet to crack the Brazil senior setup, and that might have thrown a wrinkle or two in getting him squared away to play in the UK. However, now that we’ve successfully gotten Souza on the phone, the deal is reportedly for €15m (£11.1m). Souza is a welcome addition to Tottenham’s defensive stable. He’s clearly been signed as a backup/rotation to Destiny Udogie, and that will give him time to acclimate and learn the ropes in the Premier League. He’s one for the future — dynamic on the left flank, good at take-ons, good at crosses, and a capable defender. But he’s young and raw, and this is a HUGE step up for him, so it’s probably wise for all of us to be a little patient as he works his way in. Regardless, this is an exciting depth-with-the-possibility-of-more signing and I’m looking forward to seeing what he can do. Welcome, Souza!

This home at 617 Grizzly Peak Boulevard that sold in 2025 has solar panels. " data-image-caption="This home at 617 Grizzly Peak Boulevard that sold in 2025 has solar panels. " data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/newspack-berkeleyside-cityside.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/617-Grizzly-Peak-Blvd.-Berkeley-Drone-11-scaled.jpg?fit=360%2C203&ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/newspack-berkeleyside-cityside.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/617-Grizzly-Peak-Blvd.-Berkeley-Drone-11-scaled.jpg?fit=780%2C439&ssl=1" />Realtor Megan Micco offers advice on the new ordinance and an online calculator for homeowners.

Yesterday we got news through a Swedish media source that Tottenham Hotspur midfielder and Sweden international Lucas Bergvall was set for an extended spell on the sidelines after injuring his ankle in a collision with Dortmund’s Emre Can in Tuesday’s Champions League win. The Swedish source suggested that Bergvall would miss the upcoming Sweden World Cup playoff match in March, and put a timeline of 2-3 months out injured. A Swedish source close to the natural team usually has the goods when it comes to international players and injurues, and indeed we got confirmation of the injury from The Athletic’s David Ornstein this morning It’s not good… but maybe not as bad as we were led to believe. Ornstein identified the injury as a high ankle sprain, and said the club was continuing to assess Bergvall before making any firm statements on how long he might be out. But he did say that Bergvall was hoping to be fit by the March 26 World Cup playoff semifinal against Ukraine. The injury is unrelated to any other injury he might have been carrying. 🚨 Lucas Bergvall set for spell out with injury suffered during Tottenham Hotspur win over Borussia Dortmund. 19yo #THFC midfielder sustained high ankle sprain in tackle vs #BVB; new problem & assessments ongoing to establish firm timescale 🚨 @theathleticfc.bsky.social www.nytimes.com/athletic/698…— David Ornstein (@david-ornstein.bsky.social) 2026-01-22T11:00:25.727Z So here’s where we enter into the murky realm of speculation. We’ve had players with high ankle sprains before, and some quick consulting tells me the average time out for an injury of that nature is typically 6-8 weeks on the sidelines. Not great, but also not 2-3 months. Severity of the injury will be a consideration, but at this point there don’t seem to be any indications that Lucas needs surgery, so until that changes it feels like we should take the under on his recovery time until we get more info. Either way, Spurs will be without his services for the next number of matches, which sucks, and leaves a non-academy player stable of Archie Gray, Conor Gallagher, Yves Bissouma, Xavi Simons, and (possibly) Joao Palhinha going forward in Tottenham’s central midfield. Wheeee!