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The Portland Trail Blazers decided to blow up their team. Although reports suggest they will be looking to build around Damian Lillard, the rest of their old core is gone. CJ McCollum is in New Orleans, Norman Powell in Los Angeles, and Jusuf Nurkic could be gone this summer. They are left with Anfernee Simons, Nassir Little, and Damian Lillard to build around for the future. That future should be much better after the 2022 NBA Draft. The Blazers have their pick and likely the Pelicans selection, so they will have two lottery places in the upcoming draft. Let's look at three early 2022 NBA Draft targets Blazers must be watching.
Early Blazers Draft Targets
Just in a case where the Blazers package their two picks, projected by NBADraft.net to be numbers seven and nine, to move up in the draft, Chet Holmgren could be in the discussion. The Gonzaga center is a top-two big man in the draft, aside from Jabari Smith. He is an excellent young center that was, for the longest time, projected to be the first pick of the draft. He has fallen off a bit since, but he is still a player that many NBA franchises would love to have in their future. The Blazers, should they decide to use their picks to move up and get him, would not be making a mistake by investing in him.
Firstly, he is insurance for the Blazers if Nurkic does decide to leave. He is likely going to seek upwards of $20 million in free agency, as this is his last deal, and the Blazers really should not give him that much. Aside from the financial implications, Holmgren would be more in line with the Blazers' future, since Simons will be the piece to build around after Lillard. He is a seven-foot-one, mobile center that has a ton of range and a great touch around the rim. He is also a great defensive player, mostly due to his height and length. Of course, he would be hitting the rookie wall, as the NBA is more physical and his frame is lacking strength, but he should be the next big thing when it comes to centers in the NBA.
Also an option if the Blazers want to package their picks and move up, Banchero would be definitely more in line with the Blazers timeline. Holmgren is likely going to be better down the stretch, but the Duke forward will be ready now. This debate between Holmgren and Banchero is one about ceiling versus immediate impact, and as the Blazers really want to win next season, Banchero must be the guy. He will likely be unavailable at the seven and nine spots, as is the case with Holmgren as well, so they would need to move up, but Banchero is definitely worth it.
He is a beast of a forward, standing at six-foot-ten, 250 pounds, with an NBA-ready game. The Blazers could have a ton of combinations where Banchero is their inside presence and a pick'n'roll option with Damian Lillard, while Simons would be ready to shoot the lights out from the perimeter. Should they decide to go for Banchero, the Blazers would be getting a player that would work right away, with a lesser chance of seriously hitting the infamous rookie wall, and a guy they can really rely on right away. His ceiling is questionable, but out of this draft, he is the player that carries the least amount of risk – something the Blazers should take into account when making plans for this upcoming draft.
Keegan Murray
This is a tricky pick, since the Blazers are set on their guard spots and most of the elite forwards/centers are either mentioned above, ungettable, or way down the draft and would be a major stretch to take. Murray is a lone, true forward in the mid-lottery spots that are filled with guards. His lower place on the mock drafts likely comes from the fact that a lot of people are vary of the fact he exploded in such a manner in his sophomore season at Iowa. There are serious doubts over whether he can sustain his rise. If he can, the Blazers get an excellent combo, two-way forward that could be their bucket-getter aside from Lillard and Simons. If not, he is a tough to predict forward that could turn out to be a complete draft bust.
Yet, his player profile suggests he should be a valid contributor to any team that drafts him. The Blazers could get him some help when it comes to defensive focus and then, even if his elite shooting does not translate well to the NBA, they could get their wing stopper of the future. With so many elite wings around the league, getting a good wing stopper is a necessity for any team aiming for the NBA title, as the Blazers hope to do starting from next season. In any regard, Murray is incredibly tough to predict so if he is taken by the Blazers, it will be a risky move. However, even bigger risks have paid off, so the Blazers should go for it.
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