Pre-Draft Outlook
During the NBA Draft lottery, Damian Lillard looked disappointed as both Portland’s franchise player and its draft representative when he saw the team fall to No. 7. Not exactly what Portland hoped after finishing 13th in the Western Conference mostly because of Lillard’s season-ending injury. Still, this pick is attractive enough for Blazers GM Joe Cronin to utilize either in a trade for a veteran player, improving draft position or selecting a prospect. It wouldn’t be surprising if Portland trades the pick since the Blazers would like to surround Lillard with talent that can help him win now instead of later.
A Stat That Matters
3 — The Blazers have ranked in the bottom four in defensive efficiency in each of the last three seasons, ranking 29th in each of the last two seasons.
The Way To Go
It makes sense if the Blazers trade their draft pick instead of using it to select a rookie. Standing pat doesn’t seem so bad either as there will be talented prospects available at No. 7. Bennedict Mathurin from Arizona seems to be the best possibility, both because of his potential availability and because he could complement Lillard in the backcourt reasonably well. Mathurin excels with moving off the ball and scoring on catch-and-shoot opportunities, giving Lillard the additional spacing and shooting help needed to relieve his own workload.
Under Contract
G: Eric Bledsoe
G: Josh Hart
G: Keon Johnson
G: Damian Lillard
G: Didi Louzada
G: Brandon Williams
F/G: Nassir Little
F/G: Justise Winslow
F: Greg Brown III
F: Trendon Watford
Free Agents
G: Keljin Blevins (unrestricted)
G: Elijah Hughes (restricted)
G: Ben McLemore (unrestricted)
G: Anfernee Simons (restricted)
F/G: CJ Elleby (restricted)
F/G: Joe Ingles (unrestricted)
C: Jusuf Nurkić (unrestricted)
> 2022 Free Agent Tracker
Last Year’s Draft
2021: None
— Mark Medina