2024 NBA Draft week is on the horizon; unsurprisingly, we have far more questions than answers.
Around the league, no one can name a consensus top pick. We thought it was the 7-foot, 19-year-old Alex Sarr for a while, but in recent weeks, fellow Frenchman Zaccharie Risacher has the eye of the Atlanta Hawks, who own first-overall selection.
Along with the draft itself, this is when the trade market also kicks into gear. The Hawks are rumored to like UConn’s Donovan Clingan, which could result in a trade down from No. 1. The San Antonio Spurs have a vision for a Risacher-Victor Wembanyama pairing that could involve them trading up.
When it comes to the Blazers, they also have the multiple lottery picks required to trade up. Is that something they’d realistically consider? If they don’t, who do they have eyes for with the Nos. 7 and 14 picks? Are there any fits that should scare them away from a prospect?
No draft has ever been void of questions, but this year’s seems to present more than most.
Oregon Sports News’ Casey Mabbott and Bryant Knox are here to help answer a few of those pressing questions, along with a few more about recent drafts past.
*Read along and then OSN’s comments to share your biggest question about Portland’s upcoming 2024 draft.
Who Is Your Ideal (Realistic) Trail Blazers’ Pick at No. 7?
CM — Tristan Da Silva probably makes the most sense for team building. But he could also be a realistic option later in the lottery. And for just raw talent, I think Donovan Clingan makes the most sense if he’s still available.
There are also a ton of guards in this draft, which is probably the one position where Portland doesn’t want to take anyone. But if you follow the rules of drafting—which is to take the best player available regardless of need—if a guy like Dalton Knecht is still there at #7, you need to take a really tough look at your roster, which couldn’t outscore teams last year.
BK — Like Casey, I’d love to see Donovan Clingan fall to Portland. And according to ESPN’s Zach Lowe, via The Lowe Post podcast, his “floor” is that No. 7 spot, making it a possibility. Technically.
But I don’t think it happens. I think it’s more likely he’s off the board by then, and at that point, my attention (also like Casey) turns to Tennessee product Dalton Knecht.
To be frank, I don’t need Knecht, or anyone, at this draft spot to be a star on Day 1. I don’t need them to be a star in YEAR 1—or potentially ever for the Blazers.
I need the fit to be right, and Knecht, with his scoring and off-ball skills at about 6’7” in shoes, fits the bill while being NBA-ready despite a questionable ceiling at 23 years old.
Who Scares You at No. 7?
CM — Tidjane Salaun could be Nic Batum 2.0, or he could be Victor Claver 2.0. And I don’t think either player benefits this team right now. Batum was one of the best players in the 2010s, but he took a while to find his game at the NBA level and had the benefit of being surrounded by players who already knew how to play at this level.
Right now, this team is still trying to figure out its strengths, and I don’t think throwing a very raw prospect into that mix is the answer.
This pick needs to make an impact right away—not be someone who could be a good player a few years down the road.
BK — I’ll zig where Casey zagged and argue that finding a player who impacts results now isn’t so crucial. I’d be more on board if I thought the team was closer to getting back to the postseason. But for now, I’d be fine with some prospects who look like strong fits without needing strong starts.
All that said, one player whose stock has slipped and should continue to slip past Portland is Rob Dillingham. On talent alone, the guard should be a top-three selection in this class, and in the interest of taking the best available, Portland could be tempted.
But I can also already hear Rip City’s collective groan if Joe Cronin took a guard standing 6’1” without shoes and with a 6’3” wingspan.
Someone could potentially strike gold if Dillingham slips and shows out in Year 1. But with Portland’s backcourt and how it’s constructed, it’s doubtful it will work out with the Blazers.
Would Scoot Henderson Be a No. 1 Pick In The 2024 Draft?
CM — If he didn’t play last year, and if we were going solely off of potential, I would take Scoot Henderson without hesitation. But now that we have a season of pro ball to review, I am not as sure.
Of course, Portland still needs a point guard, so I would have to look hard at trading down for a guy like Reed Sheppard or Stephon Castle. But Scoot would still be in the mix.
BK — Casey is spot on that circumstances change everything about this question. Are we dealing with the Scoot Henderson, who was considered a “potential No. 1 pick in any other draft” a year ago, not including Wemby? Or are we looking at Scoot after watching him largely struggle in 2023-24 before starting to turn a corner a year?
Honestly, I thought about this one for a bit. Because if you put Scoot up against Alex Sarr, let’s say, it’s tough to project who will have a bigger impact on not just his team but the league further down the road—despite Sarr likely having the edge in his rookie year.
At this point, I trust that Scoot will start figuring it out and scrape a higher ceiling than Sarr or Risacher. I also trust that Joe Cronin eventually gives Scoot a roster with a direction, meaning we get to see how he plays within a true, cohesive system.
Should the Trail Blazers Package No. 7 and No. 14 to Move Up?
CM — It’s always exciting to move up, but this draft does not have the clear-cut, game-changing players other drafts have had, so I would rather have more picks this time around.
The Trail Blazers have a very young roster that still needs to figure out who they are, who is staying, and who is going. The best way to navigate that as a GM is to add players and see who sticks. Because making a roster is a lot like cooking pasta; sometimes it turns out just right, and other times it goes horrible—and it’s not always clear why.
Overall, you have to just shrug off the players who don’t pan out and go with the ones that stick. Simply put, I would rather have more raw players than just one from any class.
BK — Casey and I are 100 percent on the same page here. (Including our pasta-making skills.)
At this point, I don’t think I’m moving up to No. 1 to take either Sarr or Risacher. Houston’s pick at No. 3 feels more reasonable, but probably only if you’re extra high on G League Ignite’s Matas Buzelis or, as already mentioned, UConn’s Clingan.
Of the two, Clingan feels like the one teams suddenly feel FOMO for. And moving up to No. 3, or maybe No. 5 (Detroit), could make sense. But still, I don’t know if I’d do it for two lottery picks.
Perhaps the Rockets, who are suddenly trying to win again, would work on a deal around one of Portland’s picks and a vet? Would Detroit do the same?
Regardless, I’ve started to come around to the idea that two picks from this lottery can help round out a young Trail Blazers core that needs an identity.
Nothing is ever guaranteed, but having two picks, in this case, feels better than having one when thinking long-term.
If the Blazers Don’t Package the Picks, Who Do You Realistically Want at No. 14?
CM — It may not be everyone’s favorite kind of pick, but you need a glue guy who does the job no one else wants. And Da Silva is probably still there at 14, and he’s the kind of glue guy this roster needs.
That guy, by the way, was Jerome Kersey in the ‘90s, then Scottie in the 2000s, and then Batum in the 2010s. You need a wing player who can defend their best scorer and be a sometimes critical part of the offense on defense.
That’s the kind of player Lillard rarely had in his time here, and you can see the results.
BK — If Cody Williams somehow slips to No. 14, the Blazers need to snatch him up. His draft stock has fluctuated, which makes this a realistic albeit bold idea. But it’s actually fluctuated so much that he suddenly seems to have top-five potential.
It’s wild how rumors fly literally every direction this time of year.
Assuming he’s picked well before No. 14—and assuming Ron Holland is also picked up before Portland has a chance—Ja’Kobe Walter is the play.
Out of Baylor, Walter doesn’t offer the size the Trail Blazers need. But as a 6’4” wing who can guard both wing positions, his three-and-D potential makes up for a lack of self-creating, which is something that won’t be so important alongside Scoot/Shae/Ant.
Would You Realistically Consider Bronny James at Any of Portland’s Draft Spots?
CM — If it means LeBron will play here for a year or two, then yes. But if it’s just to get his unproven kid, who may or may not be a talented player, then I think you have to take your chances elsewhere and wish him all the best wherever he goes.
I think he would be a fun story if he is taken in the second round, but Portland has enough unproven players, and it doesn’t need another Neil Olshey special by taking an undersized guard.
BK — I think there’s a fun parallel universe where Damian Lillard stays in Portland, the Blazers draft Bronny for leverage, and then force the Los Angeles Lakers’ hand into a LeBron James sign-and-trade this summer. Making it even more fun…the only way that likely happens is by Portland landing Victor Wembanyama in the 2023 draft. Wemby with the Trail Blazers might’ve been the only thing to keep Dame around that summer. And it might’ve been the first domino to fall before an absolutely epic Dame-Wemby-LeBron run at an NBA championship.
Okay…now that I’ve gotten that off my chest—the Blazers shouldn’t go anywhere near Bronny James in the ‘24 draft. It doesn’t make sense.
Bronny’s shooting looked impressive during drills at the Combine, but his size would be an issue for a backcourt that does not make up for it elsewhere. Defensively, he looks like he can potentially make an impact, but again, not to the extent that we’re expecting his defense to earn him minutes right away.
The Blazers aren’t known at this point for being able to groom young talent, so drafting Bronny might be entirely for media coverage and a potential Jody Allen sale to come. That doesn’t seem worth it to me. The kid deserves a much better shot to succeed on a roster that can use him.
Who Has Been Your Favorite Blazers Draft Pick of the Last 10 Years?
CM — There aren’t a lot of choices here, but Anfernee Simons would be my favorite so far. He went from a guy most fans were confused with why the team was taking to a guy who was underrated behind Lillard to the best scorer on the team in the last couple of years.
It makes it tough because I could see a future where Portland invested in another position last year and gave Ant the keys to the offense going forward. But right now, he’s in a crowded backcourt as the likely odd man out, even though he’s been arguably the best guard on the roster since 2022 when Lillard wasn’t healthy.
BK — I think my lowkey favorite pick of the last ten years has been Jabari Walker. It’s not that he had the best rookie season or has become the best player. But he’s shown potential to be a serious glue guy who plays the rim and crashes boards like few others who’ve come through Portland.
At 6’7”, Walker’s a little small to be playing 58 percent of his minutes at power forward and six percent at center (compared to 35 percent at the 3). But that’s also part of the point here. His skill set allows him to play above his size since he has an improved push shot over taller defenders and quicker timing on shots at the cup.
After being selected No. 57 overall in 2022, Walker is proving every team that passed on him wrong at this point. And although his ceiling remains a question, his floor continues to rise every single season.
Is There a Player You Wish Portland Had Drafted During the Joe Cronin era?
CM — It’s still way too early to tell if Portland’s two first-round picks Cronin has taken will pan out better than their peers, but the early returns on Jalen Duren and Jalen Williams have been tempting.
Williams is a talented guard playing on one of the best teams in the league, but that could be what we are saying about Sharpe if Portland is able to turn the corner.
Duren, on the other hand, looks like he will be a good center in the league, but Portland was able to get a star in Deandre Ayton this past summer; although, they are also paying him a lot of money, and the jury is still out if he will be able to grow with this roster and turn into a superstar or if he has already hit his ceiling.
BK — It’s tempting to pick Jalen Williams here over Shaedon Sharpe. JW looks like a legit star and has averaged 73 games played in his first two seasons.
The question, though, is whether Williams replacing Sharpe saves the Damian Lillard era. If the answer is yes, and the team starts competing in a meaningful way immediately, you do it 11 times out of 10.
But in truth, I don’t think Williams does that—especially not the way the Blazers were otherwise built around Dame.
I’m thinking long-term here, and I’m happy to have Shaedon over Wiliams exemplifying the mystery-box status of this current rebuild.
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