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Casey Holdahl

The Portland Trail Blazers will have to make their own luck at the 2024 NBA Draft.

Despite having the fourth-best odds at the 2024 NBA Draft Lottery, held Sunday afternoon in Chicago, the Trail Blazers ended up with the the seventh overall pick in the upcoming Draft. The eighth overall pick was the worst pick Portland could have ended up with, so it could have been worse, though not by much.

Both the San Antonio Spurs, who ended up with the fourth pick, and the Atlanta Hawks, who came away with the top overall pick, jumped the Trail Blazers to overperform their odds. Portland also came away from the Draft Lottery with the 14th pick via the Golden State Warriors, with the Trail Blazers acquired as a part of the trade that sent Damian Lillard to Milwaukee.

“We feel great,” said Trail Blazers general manager Joe Cronin. “To have two picks in the lottery is a great opportunity for us to add potentially two guys that will make a big difference on our team, so we’re excited.”

The complete lottery order is as follows…

The Trail Blazers also own the 34th and 40th picks in the second round.

The 2024 NBA Draft will be a two-day event this year, with the first round taking place on June 26 and the second the next day on June 26. Both rounds will air on ESPN.

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Trail Blazers Come Away with the 7th, 14th Picks At 2024 NBA Draft Lottery

“A lot of ups and downs. I think one of the things I like the most about the game of basketball is winning games, so it was a really tough year. But I feel like I was able to learn so much being able to be on the court a lot as a rookie, which I didn’t expect. Just Looking back at it and looking at what I was able to do, I think it’s something that I never expected, especially not knowing if I was going to get drafted or anything, didn’t know how the process was going to happen. Just very grateful to have an impact on the team, be able to help a program and be able to learn so much as a player, too.” -- Toumani Camara

toumani-camara-end-of-season-interview-2023-2024-portland-trail-blazers

Toumani Camara End of Season Interview | 2023-2024 | Portland Trail Blazers

GP: 70 (49 starts) | MIN: 24.8 | PTS: 7.5 | FG%: 45.0 | 3P%: 33.7 | FT%: 75.8EFG%: 51.6 | TS%: 54.7 | REB: 4.9 | AST: 1.2 | BLK: 0.5 | STL: 0.9 | TO: 1.2

According to Sportrac, Toumani Camara, who signed as a free agent after being selected with the 52nd pick of 2023 NBA Draft, has a base salary of $1,891,857 for the 2024-25 season. He is under contract through the 2025-26 season.

The 2023-24 season was the Year Of The Rookie for the Portland Trail Blazers. You had the draft picks in Scoot Henderson, Kris Murray and Rayan Rupert and a Summer League invite turned free agent signing in Duop Reath.

And then there was Toumani Camara, acquired via trade from Phoenix along with Deandre Ayton, less than a week before the start of training camp. It would be incorrect to state that the 6-8, 220 forward out of Belgium via Dayton was a throw-in -- he had a predraft workout with the Trail Blazers prior to be selected by the Suns with the 52nd pick -- but to be frank, he was an afterthought.

But it became apparent early on that Camara was not your average late second-rounder. With a useful combination of size, strength and aggressive mentality, Camara proved early on that he was the exact kind of wing that the Trail Blazers have been looking for, one who can defend multiple positions at a high level while also having enough of an offensive game keep opposing defenses honest.

Despite being a late addition, Camara won a starting spot by his 10th game. He would head back to the bench for a stretch in January, but once again got promoted to the starting five by mid-February, where he would stay until suffering a rib fracture that would sideline him for the last few weeks of the season.

Along the way, Camara would become the first Trail Blazer to record at least 500 points, 300 rebounds, 50 three-pointers and 50 steals in his rookie season. He’d go on to finish the season finishing among the best rookies in steals (tied for sixth), rebounds (seventh) and blocks (11th). After shooting 29 percent from three in December and 24 percent in December, Camara 50 percent in February and 44 percent in March from behind the line, a good indication that he is well on his way to being a valuable “three-and-D” player, at a minimum.

"I think, right now, who I am is defense-first person," said Camara. "I'm trying to still find myself as an offensive guy. I feel like throughout my whole career in college I've been a four/five man so it's my first year playing on the wing and being able to put the ball on the ground a little more and not playing back-to-the-basket. So it's a lot to learn, a lot of few habits that I have to have but I think my role is going to keep on growing depending on how much work I put in to my role, who I want to become. I think my shooting is going to get better, I think my ball handling is going to get better, so I don't want to put any limit on myself but I think that's who I am right now."

Toumani is the kind of player whose impact is felt far beyond the the box score. The toughness and edge he provides, especially on the defensive end, has been a revelation on a team deficient in both areas for some time. Same goes for his size and athleticism on the wing. So while Camara might not have been Portland’s best rookie -- though you could make a good argument that he was -- he is the rookie that seems to have solved some of the problems that has plagued Trail Blazers’ rosters in the last few seasons.

Picking out your favorite Toumani Camara performance this season comes down to individual preference.

If you’re a fan of filling up the stat sheet, you would probably go with his performance in a 114-111 loss to the Nuggets on March 23 in which he posted 16 points on 6-of-11 shooting from the field, 2-of-4 shooting from the field and 2-of-2 shooting from the line, seven rebounds, six assists, a steal and a block in 39 minutes.

If your more of a “winning plays” kind of fan, his efforts to secure a 107-100 overtime victory versus the Grizzlies on March 2, in which he turned in clutch plays on both ends of the floor late in the game, while posting 15 points, seven rebounds, an assist, a steal and a block in 36 minutes might be your pick.

And if you’re a fan of great highlights, the post dunk he threw down in a 118-113 overtime loss to the Jazz might be enough to make it your best game of Toumani’s rookie season.

But while it might not be his “best” game, I’m going to go with his last game, a 17-point, four-rebound, two-assist and one-steal effort in a 120-106 loss to the Hawks on March 27. It goes down as my quintessential Toumani Camara game due to the fact he played 30 minutes despite suffering a broken rib and a lacerated kidney. While it’s a shame the injury ended his season, the toughness one has to display in order to gut out an injury of that nature might have been the most representative performance of his first season.

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Season In Review: Toumani Camara

"First and foremost, I want to say that I’m blessed to be here in Portland… They accepted me and it’s been fun to play here with the fans and even outside the court with everybody else. I’m just repping the Portland jersey, that red, white and black. It’s been a year full of experiences, learning experiences. It’s been fun though, I can say at least I have the best job in the world, and that’s being able to come here and do my job at a high level." -- Scoot Henderson

GP: 62 (32 starts) | MIN: 28.5 | PTS: 14.0 | FG%: 38.5 | 3P%: 32.5 | FT%: 81.9EFG%: 44 | TS%: 48.9 | REB: 3.1 | AST: 5.4 | BLK: 0.2 | STL: 0.8 | TO: 3.4

According to Sportrac, Scoot Henderson, who is on a rookie scale contract after being selected with the third overall pick of the 2023 NBA Draft, has a base salary of $10,259,160 for the 2024-25 season. His contract has a team option for the 2025-26 season.

Scoot Henderson, through no fault of his own, had a difficult start to his rookie season.

The 6-3 guard, selected by the Trail Blazers with the third overall pick of the 2023 Draft, suffered a shoulder injury three quarters into his first game at Summer League, ending his on-court time in Las Vegas and greatly diminishing his opportunity to participate in workouts during the run up to his rookie season. Then Anfernee Simons got hurt in the first game of the season, which opened up minutes for Henderson, but also took away a valuable on-court mentor, at least for a few months. Then Henderson suffered an ankle injury five games into the season that would cause him to miss the next nine games.

So through the most formative months of his rookie season, Scoot was either sidelined or thrust into situations in which he was yet ready. And that’s to say nothing of the pressure that comes with replacing a franchise icon.

But through it all, Scoot never lost faith. He never got down on himself, always showed up ready to work, addressed the areas in which he was deficient and was an enthusiastic supporter of his teammates. Things like shooting mechanics, finishing at the rim and change of pace and be developed -- all areas in which he made significant improvement over the course of his first season -- but confidence has to come from within, and when it comes to that skill, Scoot needs no additional reps.

And because of that confidence, which always comes across as assured but never haughty, Henderson was able to endure those difficult first days to finish his rookie season with considerable momentum. He played his best basketball in the last two months of the season while improving his shooting percentage and being more careful with the ball. He also played considerable minutes alongside Deandre Ayton since the All-Star break, setting an important foundation for their future partnership both on and off the court.

It is said that it’s not how you start that is important, but how you finish. So while Scoot’s rookie season might not have started off as smoothly as anyone would hope, the finish certainly gave ample cause to be optimistic about his future and that of the Trail Blazers.

Scoot’s 22-points on 56 percent shooting from the field and 57 percent shooting from three and the 10 assists he handed out in Portland’s 89-86 victory versus the Hornets in Charlotte on April 3 is right up there, but as far as his best overall game, I’m going with his 33-point, 9-assist, 7-rebound, three-steal effort in 40 minutes in a 127-116 loss to the Suns at Moda Center on January 14. The Blazers might have lost, but the Suns had to earn it in the fourth quarter, which is probably a better indication of quality than a late-season win versus the Hornets.

season-in-review-scoot-henderson

Season In Review: Scoot Henderson

On May 12 in Chicago, the NBA will hold the 2024 Draft Lottery, in which a hopper filled with numbered ping-pong balls will play a large part in determining the future of the franchises vying for a pick in the top four. And with potentially two picks in the lottery and two in the second round, the Draft Lottery serves as one of the best ways this offseason for the Trail Blazers to improve their fortunes, both next season and beyond.

This is the third-consecutive year and tenth in franchise history that the Trail Blazers find themselves hoping that the right numbered balls come up in the right order. Last year, Brandon Roy, who was the Trail Blazers representative the last time they won the Draft Lottery in 2007, returned to that role and, though he wasn’t able to bring home the top overall pick again, did have enough juice to come away with the third overall pick, which the team used to select Scoot Henderson. Portland didn’t buck their odds in 2023 -- they had a 10.5 percent chance of getting each of the top four picks -- but they didn’t underperform their odds either, which qualifies as a victory.

More broadly, the Trail Blazers have participated in the Draft Lottery nine times -- 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2012, 2013, 2022 and 2023 -- and have come away with the first, third (twice), fourth, seventh, 10th, 11th and 13th (twice) picks. They have outperformed their odds thrice -- in 2005 when they got the third overall pick while having the fourth-best odds, when they won the Lottery in 2007 and in 2023 when they got the third pick with the fifth-best odds -- and underperformed their Lottery odds twice -- in 2006, when they had the best odds yet ended up with the third overall pick and in 2022 in which they had the sixth-best odds but finished with the seventh pick, which they used to select Shaedon Sharpe. And in four years -- 2004, 2008, 2012 and 2013 -- the Blazers came away from the Lottery with the exact pick their odds predicted.

So with the history out of the way, let’s get to the present, or at least the near future.

The Trail Blazers, by finishing tied with the Charlotte Hornets for the third-worst record in the NBA this season, have a 13.2 percent chance of getting the top overall pick and a 50 percent chance of getting a top four pick. On the flip side, they have a 6.8 percent chance of getting the fifth pick, a 24.6 percent chance of getting the sixth pick, a 16.4 percent chance of getting the 7th pick and a 2.2 percent chance of getting the eighth pick, which is the lowest they can go.

One thing that is always important to remember about the Draft Lottery is that it only defines the top four picks. As in, the Draft Lottery is held to determine the order of the top four picks, then the rest of the order is set by record. So if a team bucks their odds, the rest of the teams shift one spot worse.

And this year it’s especially important to remember that, due to the unfortunate fact that the Trail Blazers lost the tiebreaker with the Hornets, which affects Portland’s pick in two ways. First, it gives the Hornets a 0.1 percent better chance of getting each of the top four picks, which isn’t much, but you’d still rather have the better odds. But more importantly, losing the tiebreaker means the Hornets are the third team. So for example, if a team, let’s say Memphis with the seventh-best odds, jumps over the Pistons, Wizards, Hornets and Blazers and is the only team to buck the odds to get a top four pick, the Blazers would end up with the fifth pick while the Hornets get the fourth pick (because again, the Draft Lottery only defines the top four picks, which then in turn sets the order for the rest of the teams in the Lottery).

So you don’t want to hear one of the teams above the Trail Blazers called early in the Draft Lottery, as that would mean a team with worse odds ended up with a top four pick, which would mean a worse pick for the Trail Blazers. But if it goes chalk until the top four, you obviously want a team above the Blazers to get called before the Blazers.

Also, there’s the issue of the Golden State Warriors’ first round pick. The Trail Blazers, as part of the trade that sent Damian Lillard to Milwaukee, own Golden State’s first-round pick as long as it doesn’t end up in the top four. The Warriors ended up as the last Lottery team, giving them a 0.7 percent chance of landing the top pick and a 3.4 percent chance of landing a top four pick, so it’s incredibly likely the Trail Blazers will end up with their pick. And you’ll know right away, as if the first team called is NOT the Warriors, that means they jumped into the top four, which means the Blazers would NOT get that pick.

As for second-round picks, we know that the Blazers will have the 40th pick from the Atlanta Hawks. But their first pick in the second round will be defined by where they end up in the Lottery. If the Hornets end up with a better first-round pick than the Blazers, Portland ends up with the 33rd pick (or the third of the second round) which they then send to Milwaukee. And in that scenario, the Hornets would then send the 34th pick to the Blazers.

So if the odds hold, the Trail Blazers will end up with the fourth, 14th, 34th and 40th picks in the 2024 NBA Draft. According to the folks at Tankathon, that combination gives the Trail Blazers the top spot in their Draft Power Rankings, which they base off of “assigning a value to every pick in the draft and ranks teams based on the sum of their pick values. Data from previous draft picks' performance, playing time, and salaries are factored into a pick's score.” Portland’s 2024 Draft value, at least before the Lottery, is listed as 144.71 followed by the Raptors, owners of the sixth, 19th and 31st picks, at 116.67, the Wizards, owners of the second, 26th and 51st picks, at 114.27 and the Pistons, owners of the first and 53rd picks, at 100.79. Again, that all assumes the Lottery plays out exactly as the odds predict.

The NBA Draft Lottery is scheduled to be held on Sunday, May 12 at 5:30 p.m. on ESPN.

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Blazers Take Top Spot In Draft Rankings Prior To The Lottery With Four Picks

Greetings once again from the Oregon coast. The Exit Interview editions of The Brief Case come to a close with Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups and general manager Joe Cronin...

Topics on this, the 94th edition, include...

• The 2024 NBA Playoffs and which teams might be due for a reset if they're bounced in the first round

• Which players a new mock draft from CBS Sports has the Trail Blazers selecting with the fourth and 14th picks

• The last batch of Exit Interviews with Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups and general manager Joe Cronin 

And with that, the Brief Case will likely go on a bit of a hiatus until we get a bit closer to the NBA Draft Lottery, which is scheduled for Sunday, May 12 in Chicago. We'll be sure to snap into action if any news does break before then, but otherwise, it's likely to be a bit quiet around these parts for the next few weeks.

And because of that, now is a great time to subscribe to The Brief Case so you're sure not to miss any new episodes. You can subscribe to the Brief Case on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Youtube, IHeartRadio, Amazon Music, TuneIn, Podcast Addict, Podchaser, Pocket Casts, Deezer, PlayerFM.

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Billups, Cronin Wrap Up Exit Interviews On The Brief Case, Episode 94

The Exit Interview editions of The Brief Case continue with Toumani Camara and Dalano Banton, the last batch of players before we finish off the series with later this week with Chauncey Billups and Joe Cronin. Give it a listen if you haven't already...

Topics on this, the 93rd edition, include...

• The latest from the first round of the 2024 NBA Playoffs

• The recent breaking of ties as it pertains to the NBA Draft Lottery and what it could mean for the Trail Blazers

• Toumani Camara discussing his thoughts on his rookie season, having his season ended by a rib injury, which ended his goal of playing in all 82 games this season, part of his game he’s looking to improve this offseason, his offseason schedule, including whether he’s going to play at the Las Vegas Summer League, living in Portland, the competition or lack thereof amongst Portland’s forwards, making plays with effort and being one of the few players to make the NBA out of Belgium

• Dalano Banton discussing his first few months with the Trail Blazers, the culture the Trail Blazers are trying to instill, thoughts on Scoot Henderson and the importance of opportunity for young players

You can subscribe to the Brief Case on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Youtube, IHeartRadio, Amazon Music, TuneIn, Podcast Addict, Podchaser, Pocket Casts, Deezer, PlayerFM.

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Draft Tiebreakers And More Exit Interviews On The Brief Case, Episode 93

Greetings from the Oregon coast. With half the league playing in the first weekend of the 2024 NBA Playoffs and the other half preparing for the Draft, it made sense to touch on both topics on the latest edition of The Brief Case podcast, which you can listen and subscribe to below...

As you might imagine, topics on this edition include...

• Recapping the first weekend of the 2024 NBA Playoffs and making some late predictions on how each first round series ends 

• Checking out who ESPN has the Trail Blazers selecting with the third, 14th, 33rd and 40th picks of 2024 NBA Draft

• Exit interviews with Anfernee Simons and Deandre Ayton

exit-interviews-playoff-predictions-and-mock-drafts-on-the-brief-case-podcast

Exit Interviews, Playoff Predictions And Mock Drafts On The Brief Case Podcast

Greetings from North Portland. The Trail Blazers' 2023-24 season might be over, but there's still plenty to get to as the NBA Playoffs start to ramp up. So with that in mind, please to enjoy the 91st edition of The Brief Case podcast, which you can listen and subscribe to below...

• The Golden State Warriors being eliminated from the postseason and what that means for the Portland Trail Blazers at the 2024 NBA Draft

• The remaining Play-In Tournament games

• Malcolm Brogdon's comments at Exit Interviews regarding his future in the NBA, thoughts on Scoot Henderson, Chauncey Billups, Portland’s locker room and being a mentor, his health and the culture the Trail Blazers are trying to instill

• Matisse Thybulle's comments at Exit Interviews regarding his thoughts on a “challenging” season that “didn’t go the way I wanted it to,” playing for the Australian national team at the upcoming summer Olympics in Paris, injuries, Chauncey as a teacher and having the opportunity to expand his game

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Malcolm And Matisse Exit Interviews On The Brief Case, Episode 91

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Moda Health

<a href="https://www.nba.com/blazers/weather" target="_blank">Important Weather Update for Tonight's Game vs. the Phoenix Suns</a>