The Portland Trail Blazers are currently at a crossroads; will they pursue a trade for another star to bolster the team's chances of competing, or will they finally face the music and blow it up, beginning by trading away face of the franchise Damian Lillard? The results of the NBA Draft Lottery certainly clarified the Blazers' direction internally, but they could still go in either direction after winning the third overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft.
The third overall pick will be an especially coveted selection, as there is hardly a consensus among draft experts outside the top-three, which consists of Victor Wembanyama, Scoot Henderson, and Brandon Miller. There are still future stars from four below, but it has become evident in recent months that those three are the ultimate game-changing prospects available in the upcoming draft.
Thus, the Blazers will have options, as perhaps teams looking to rebuild, like the Toronto Raptors, will find the prospect of trading for the third overall pick to be an enticing one. And if they fail to trade for a co-star, they can always select another blue-chip prospect to add to their Anfernee Simons and Shaedon Sharpe core.
Until then, here are the three best prospects the Blazers must target with the third overall pick of the 2023 NBA Draft.
3. Cam Whitmore
If you liked Shaedon Sharpe, then you surely would love to have two of them on the roster. Sharpe, at 6'6, can jump off the building, and his silky smooth game certainly bodes well for his progression into becoming a featured offensive option for the Blazers once he hits his peak.
And Cam Whitmore, the 6'7 wing out of Villanova, certainly has shades of Sharpe in his game.
Not only does Whitmore stare gravity at the face and laugh at its ineffectiveness against him, he also projects to be a do-it-all wing who isn't afraid to do the dirty work on the court all the while remaining an efficient offensive option, particularly on the perimeter.
What makes Whitmore far from a surefire top-5 pick is that he didn't exactly show the greatest promise as a shot-creator in his lone year at Villanova. He definitely showed glimpses, but they didn't happen as often as one would like given the athletic gifts at his disposal. Even then, Whitmore's work ethic and effort levels scream future impact player, and if he polishes his outside shot (he shot just 34.7 percent at Villanova), he could very well end up becoming one of the best two-way forces on the wing in the NBA.
2. Amen Thompson
In today's NBA, skilled size is what reigns supreme. And Amen Thompson has skill and size in spades. Standing at 6'7, Thompson's point guard skillset makes him such a walking mismatch, and his tantalizing athleticism allows him to contribute in all facets of the game, from rebounding, to perimeter defense, to playmaking. His basketball smarts don't even lag from his athleticism, as he has an incredible reading of the game which makes him suited to become a lead ballhandler at the next level.
Alas, Thompson's make-or-break skill will be his three-point shooting. Thompson will still be an impact player either way even if he fails to develop his three-point shot to league-average levels, but this is the skill that would dictate just how high his ceiling is.
Nonetheless, in a Blazers uniform, Thompson should be sharing the backcourt with a pull-up threat from everywhere on the court (either Damian Lillard or Anfernee Simons), which should allow him to shine as a guard who excels in putting pressure on the rim.
1. Brandon Miller
The Blazers' most likely course of action will be trading away the third overall pick. As stubborn as it looks to some, the franchise still wants to build a contending team around Damian Lillard. But can the Blazers convince the Raptors in a Pascal Siakam trade with a package built on the third overall pick? Or perhaps the Boston Celtics, against all odds, decide to trade away Jaylen Brown to solve any future contract problem that may arise?
It's not quite clear what the Blazers can get for the third pick. But either way, they will have to be very pleased with the fact that they leapt two spots to, at the very least, help them cash in even further on their 2023 pick after punting the end of the season, as Brandon Miller stands out as the most likely best player available when it's their turn to select.
The rationale behind the lovefest for Miller is clear. At Alabama, Miller displayed incredible shot-creation tools, and at 6'9, he projects to become a player in the mold of Paul George or maybe even Jayson Tatum if things break right in his development. Of course, Miller's off-court troubles may be off-putting for a franchise that's had to deal with these sorts of issues in the past, like the Blazers, but in terms of skillset, the Blazers will be very pleased if Brandon Miller is who they land should they decide to pivot to a youth movement instead.
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