The Portland Trail Blazers are one of the more intriguing teams in this week's NBA Draft, owning four picks – including a pair of lottery selections.
The Blazers are deep into a rebuild and have a variety of needs. While Portland could go in multiple directions on draft night, here are some last-minute bold predictions for what the team will do.
The Blazers will trade out of the second round altogether
In addition to picks 7 and 14, the Blazers own picks 34 and 40 in the second round of the draft. Normally, that's a good thing for a rebuilding team, but Portland actually doesn't have enough roster spots available to add four players via the draft. While they could move their first rounders instead, the Blazers need as much talent as possible at multiple positions. That means that the team will likely keep their picks in the top half of the first round and move off of their second rounders.
As far as how they'll move these picks, it's likely that they will be in conjunction with players that have been rumored to be on their way out for some time. Malcolm Brogdon and Robert Williams III – acquired from Boston in exchange for Blazers legend Jrue Holiday – are both potential trade chips that likely don't have much of a future in Portland. Both have varying degrees of value for contending teams, with health being the only real concern. Look for one of both players to be shipped out along with those second-round picks in exchange for a younger player closer to the Blazers' timeline.
The Blazers will attempt to trade up in the first round
Whether they're able to make an enticing enough offer to jump a few spots or not, expect the news to break that Portland was actively trying to move up in the first round. While Blazers center Deandre Ayton excelled over the final few months of the season and is only 25 years old, Portland is clearly infatuated with UConn's Donovan Clingan.
The Blazers have been linked to Clingan on multiple occasions in the buildup to the NBA Draft, and it's likely that they view him as a future pick-and-roll partner with point guard Scoot Henderson for the next decade. The problem is that Clingan's stock is rising in general – to the point that several mocks have him going no. 1 overall to the Atlanta Hawks.
It's possible that Atlanta is just leaking info in order to drum up some worthwhile trade discussions around the top pick. If they are, look for the Blazers to be among the teams sniffing around. Should the Hawks decide to go with Zaccharie Risacher or Alex Sarr, expect Portland to look for a larger deal with the Rockets centered around the third pick.
The Blazers stay put and draft Dalton Knecht and Ron Holland
While Portland has every reason to look to move up in the draft, getting a successful deal done is something else entirely. The Blazers, reluctant to part with too much, will likely end up picking where they're slotting in the first round – no. 7 and no. 14.
Looking at the Blazers' roster, there are multiple needs as far as fit goes. Some years, it's simple enough to draft for positional need and call it a day. Damian Lillard in 2012 was a perfect example of this. The Blazers needed a point guard, pure and simple. The only real question was whether it should be Lillard or Kendall Marshall (fortunately, Portland made the right choice).
This year, the Blazers need wings, yes, but also need shooting across the board. They also aren't really good enough at any given position that they can afford to completely draft for fit vs. potential. If the rumors about Clingan are true, then it appears that Blazers GM Joe Cronin understands this. Portland has centers Ayton, Williams III, and Duop Reath all under contract (not to mention Ibou Badji on a two-way deal).
That said, the Blazers will draft Dalton Knecht with the no. 7 pick. As the best pure shooter in the draft, Knecht can immediately step in and get buckets from the outside – something that virtually no one else on the roster was able to do consistently last season.
Additionally, Ron Holland of the G League Ignite will continue to slip until the Blazers won't be able to resist selecting him with the no. 14 pick. Holland, just 18 years old, is a good defender with the potential to be elite at that end and excels in transition. His jump shot was completely broken last season, but if he can develop into even a slightly below average outside shooter, the Blazers will have found a steal with their second pick.
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