PORTLAND, Ore. (June 22, 2023) – The Portland Trail Blazers have selected guard Rayan Rupert (RYE-ahn roo-PARE) with the 43rd overall pick in the second round of the 2023 NBA Draft.
Rupert, 19, arrives in Portland after spending the 2022-23 season with the New Zealand Breakers of the Australia National Basketball League where he averaged 5.9 points (35.0% FG, 70.9% FT), 2.1 rebounds, 0.9 assists and 0.7 steals in 28 games (18 starts). Rupert (6-7, 195) also averaged 15.0 points and 4.7 rebounds in 25.6 minutes in three exhibition games during NBL Blitz schedule in September 2022.
A native of Strasbourg, France, Rupert averaged 19.7 points to go along with 4.0 steals in three games for the INSEP Academy at the 2021-22 EuroLeague Basketball Adidas Next Generation Tournament Finals.