Who are the Portland Trail Blazers going to select in the 2024 NBA Draft?

Published 9:00 am Wednesday, June 26, 2024

The 2024 NBA Draft is quickly approaching on June 26-27 and the Portland Trail Blazers own two lottery picks at No. 7 and 14, and also hold two second-round selections at No. 34 and 40.

With a class that has mock drafters all over the place, the first day of the now two-day event (silly) is sure to provide some potential curve balls.

But part of the confusion is an abundance of players who all seem to be on a similar level. While none jump off the page like a Victor Wembanyama, plenty still boast NBA-level talent.

With that in mind, it’s important to look at what holes Portland currently has. Sure, part of it too might come down to just drafting the best available player if the talent is too great to ignore. But to build a winning team means addressing the areas of weakness, which seemingly is coming into play for the Blazers who have invested their interest in their guard group of Scoot Henderson and Shaedon Sharpe.

I’ll take a look here at some of the most projected options for the Blazers at the No. 7 and 14 picks, but before that let’s take a look at the Blazers three biggest needs.

The first one is a two-way wing. The development of Jabari Walker and Toumani Camara is more than welcomed, but they leave plenty to be desired still on the offensive end. Their lack of 3-point shooting helped contribute to the Blazers being the worst in the league as they were left open for corner threes quite consistently, but missed them at way too high of a clip.

That leads into the next need is more reliable shooting. As mentioned, Portland had the worst 3-point percentage last year. This could be helped by another two-way forward alongside Jerami Grant, and also development for Henderson and Sharpe. But it could also be addressed in the draft by taking a high-make talent.

The last potential hole is depth at the center position. Duop Reath was fun for the 2023-2024 season, and Robert Williams III has proven to be a strong player when healthy, but neither provide the stability a team needs. Having a consistent backup to Deandre Ayton is crucial for the bench minutes and for stepping in when Ayton misses some games to rest.

With the needs addressed, let’s take a look at who’s seemingly a viable option at No. 7 and 14.

No. 7 pick

Cody Williams, 6-foot-8 forward, Colorado

With a 7-foot-1 wingspan and a 41.5% 3-point percentage, the Colorado freshman might be the best answer to help create some solutions for two of Portland’s holes.

While Williams didn’t have great defensive stats in his one year of college ball, like all these lanky forwards, he’s got the physical tools. Plus, he could become the bench scoring forward, coming in for Grant while one of Walker or Camara starts at the other forward spot and the other comes in as a sub alongside Williams.

That could help bring some balance to both units, giving each one a more scoring-focused forward while the other can battle down low for rebounds and guarding different positions.

Dalton Knecht, 6-foot-6.5 forward, Tennessee

Knecht, who grew up in the same town as Blazers general manager Joe Cronin, might not be the best two-way option at the 3 or 4 with his height, but the kid can score.

The 23-year-old averaged 21.7 points en route to be named the SEC Player of the Year last season, his first in a Power Five conference. What is even more staggering is the 3-ball, hitting them at a 39.7% clip on plenty of usage.

It would be easy to see Knecht coming off the bench to provide a scoring jolt, or even starting alongside Grant to open up the floor more for Grant to do his offensive work inside the arc.

Donovan Clingan, 7-foot-3, Connecticut

A two-time national champion with the Huskies, the giant Clingan certainly brings some uncoachable size, but he’s also effective with it, blocking 2.5 shots per game, grabbing 7.4 rebounds and scoring 13 points per game last season.

As mentioned above, the Blazers do have some depth at center with Ayton, Williams III and Reath. But Clingan is seen by some as the best talent in this draft, so creating room for him at No. 7 might have to happen.

And it’s not too crazy to add Clingan to the Portland center room. Ayton will miss time, Williams III’s health is still in question and Reath is only 6-foot-9.

It’s OK if the No. 7 pick comes off the bench, Clingan doesn’t need to start right away. Let the rookie learn behind Ayton, get some starts here and there when Ayton and Williams III need some rest, and allow Clingan to earn his spot rather than hand it to him or to create drama with Ayton.

Crystal ball: It seems like Clingan’s stock is rising, so I’m not sure he falls all the way to No. 7. So between Cody Williams and Knecht, it seems like Williams potential to fill a couple needs is bigger.

Portland has proven under Cronin they don’t mind taking a chance on a guy with a high ceiling like Sharpe. And there’s no denying head coach Chauncey Billups likes his Colorado guys.

No. 14 pick

Williams or Knecht

With how crazy this draft is, I wouldn’t be surprised if either of these guys fell as far as No. 14. It’s in the realm of possibility, and they’ll certainly be considered if still around at 14.

Tidjane Salaun, 6-foot-10, Cholet Basket (France)

Salaun certainly fits the project type of draft pick at 18 years old. Before this year, he’s been a really bad shooter, but his upside was his tenacity on defense and that same energy to cut and play fast on offense.

Improved shooting this year has Salaun rising in the draft, so there’s a strong chance he’s gone by No. 14. But if around, his projection of being a 3-and-D forward is exactly what Portland is looking for.

Kyshawn George, 6-foot-7, Miami

George, 20, didn’t get a whole lot of run with the Hurricanes, but shot the ball well enough to make himself an option at No. 14 to give Portland a shooter with some size.

George isn’t the best defender, nor the best finisher on offense. But the Blazers need some shooting and George could help provide that after shooting 40.8% from deep last season. Not to mention, he grew up as a point guard, so there is some playmaking talent in there that the other forwards in Portland simply don’t have.

Tristan da Silva, 6-foot-9.5, Colorado

What are the odds two Buffaloes come to Portland to join another former Buff in Billups? Relatively high if the Blazers value his 39.5% 3-point mark and his ability to run an offense.

The 23-year-old is a strong spot-up shooter and smart defensive player, giving Portland another option in the 3-and-D forward market. And being one of the older options in this draft, he might be ready to step in sooner than later.

Zach Edey, 7-foot-5, Purdue

Similar to the talk of Clingan above, there is room in Portland for another center, and why not the best college basketball player from the past two years?

Edey averaged 25.2 points per game along with 12.2 boards, 2.2 blocks and 2 assists. At 22 years old, he’s potentially going to make a talented Canadian national team roster. While his sheer size makes him possibly too slow and unable to transition to the NBA, taking a chance on him at 14 is still well within reason.

Crystal ball: I think Salaun has shot his way into coming off the board before 14, but if he does stay on until the Blazers’ second pick of the draft, I think Portland will take him.

If not, and rumors around Portland being interested in Clingan are true, Edey might be the backup option at 14 if Clingan comes off the board before No. 7. However, I feel split for my pick to be either da Silva or George at 14. Each one offers great offensive upside, but plenty of athleticism work to do to become a true 3-and-D player in the league.

Second round picks

I’ll have a little fun here and throw out a couple names I think Portland might go with for its two second round selections at No. 34 and 40.

In either case, I don’t think Portland needs to add more guards or undersized forwards/centers. So at these spots, I could see the Blazers taking some fliers on young, but high-ceiling players.

With that in mind, give me Pacome Dadiet at No. 34, a 6-foot-9 guard who will likely move to the 3 or 4 in the NBA. He’s a strong shot creator for himself already and has a good offensive package to get to the rim and finish there.

Another guy I like for the No. 40 pick to have some fun is Weber State senior Dillon Jones. He’s not the best 3-point shooter, but he’s proven to be a strong scorer after averaging over 20 points per game last season thanks to shooting 48.9% from the floor and a strong 85.7% from the free throw line.

He’s a little undersized, listed at 6-foot-5.75, but he still grabbed nearly 10 rebounds per game while handing out 5.2 assists per game and snagging 2 steals a night.

He could be a potential two-way guy in some small ball situations, and there’s no denying the Weber State-to-Portland pipeline is a storied one.