PORTLAND, Ore. — The 2024 season was less than ideal for the Portland Trail Blazers.
After trading away one of the best players the franchise has ever seen in Damian Lillard right before the season got underway, Portland won 21 games and finished near the bottom of the Western Conference for the second year in a row. And the Blazers' reward for all that losing? They ended up with the seventh overall pick in the NBA Draft despite having the fourth-best odds for the No. 1 pick.
Nonetheless, the Blazers do have four total picks, including two lottery selections, in this year's NBA draft, which will be stretched across two days for the first time.
HOW TO WATCH THE NBA DRAFT
- First round: Wednesday, 5 p.m., ESPN and ABC
- Second round: Thursday, 1 p.m., ESPN and ABC
Portland has two picks in the first round, their own at No. 7 and Golden State's at No. 14. The Blazers also have two selections in the second round, at No. 34 (from Charlotte) and No. 40 (from Atlanta).
So, what do the Trail Blazers need?
The short answer is a lot.
Going 21-61 does not usually mean you don't have many holes to fill. While Portland was riddled with the injury bug for a while, the team has many gaps.
Portland has been linked to centers in the first round of the draft, including UConn sophomore Donovan Clingan and Purdue senior Zach Edey. While Portland has two starting-caliber centers in their mid-20s in Deandre Ayton and Robert Williams III, it's unclear if either are in the long-term plans for the Blazers. Drafting a rookie center with one of their first-round picks could make sense.
Ayton played well for the Blazers down the homestretch of this past season, averaging 22.7 points and 12.5 rebounds after the All-Star break. But he'll be eligible for an extension, starting as soon as next month, that would pay him as much as three years and an additional $161.3 million, an average of nearly $54 million per year. Despite his production, Portland could decide that extension is too rich.
Williams, on the other hand, has a bargain contract that pays him an average of about $13 million over the next two season. But his history of injuries — he played in just six games for the Blazers last season and has averaged just 35.8 games played per season over his career — could make him expendable for Portland.
Other needs for Portland are shooting and defense, particularly at the forward positions, and there are a handful of potential 3-and-D wing prospects in this draft. The Blazers' thinnest position is at small forward. While ESPN lists Shaedon Sharpe as the starting small forward on its depth chart for the Blazers, he's more of a shooting guard and played 77% of his minutes there last season. Jerami Grant, as long as he's still on the team, will play the majority of his minutes at power forward.
Because Portland is in no position to compete for a title, let alone the playoffs, they have the option of taking a shot on a small forward with high upside who could use a few years to develop. Portland has held workouts with Matas Buzelis, Cody Williams, Tidjane Salaun and Ron Holland, all teenagers who have shown flashes of stardom but need to prove a lot more. Or Portland could opt for a more-seasoned rookie at small forward like Dalton Knecht, who dominated the SEC his senior season at Tennessee.
What about trades?
It's unclear what the Blazers will do with their four picks, as there is no consensus best-fit player for Portland. The Blazers have held workouts with over 40 players, ranging from NCAA national championship winners to raw international prospects, so it's hard to judge who the team will select or if they'll package some of their picks to trade up. Multiple reports have indicated that Portland has looked into what it would take to move up in the draft (potentially with an eye on Clingan) or acquire a second pick in the Top 10.
There is also a question of what Portland will do with some of its veteran players on larger contracts, such as Malcolm Brogdon, Grant, Ayton, Williams, Matisse Thybulle and Anfernee Simons. The Blazers are currently over the luxury tax, which means they'd face harsh roster-building penalties for spending over the salary cap. That may not be a place the Blazers want after finishing last in the Western Conference last season.
It has been speculated that Portland could package some of its draft picks with one of its players with a large contract in exchange for young players and draft picks to a team contending for a championship. For example, NBA insider Ian Begley reported that the Dallas Mavericks are among the teams that have "checked in" this offseason with the Blazers regarding Grant's trade availability.
With the amount of draft capital and players on large contracts, Portland is likely to receive a few calls on draft night. Make sure to follow along with KGW Sports for updates as the draft unfolds Wednesday and Thursday.