NBA Draft

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Casey Holdahl

The process of scouting players whom a team might one day select in the NBA draft is a years-long process. While you have to at least one year removed from high school domestically or be at least 18 internationally in order to declare for the draft, by that time, any team that values scouting and talent evaluation will already have a decent idea of who that player is, both on and off the court.

But there's only so much you can learn about a person by scouting games or watching film. That's where the pre-draft workouts come in.

Throughout the run up to the draft, teams bring in players, either individually or in groups, to participate in workouts at their practice facilities with hopes of getting a better sense of whether that player has the traits, both as an athlete and a person, that would make them a valuable addition to their respective franchises. It's also the one of the last steps in the process, so if there are questions a team still has about a player, the pre-draft workout is one of the few remaining opportunities to get an answer.

So here are the players that the Portland Trail Blazers have invited to their practice facility in Tualatin for workouts as they prepare to use the seventh, 14th, 34th and 40th picks at the 2024 NBA Draft, which is scheduled for June 26 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn.

Dalton Knecht: 23.1, 6-6, Guard, Tennessee, ESPN rank: 8

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Dalton Knecht Media Availability | Portland Trail Blazers Pre-Draft Workout

Dalton Knecht figured he might be ready to make the jump to the NBA after two years at Northeastern Junior College followed by two more at Northern Colorado.

He was named All-Big Sky second team after leading the conference in scoring his final season at Northern Colorado, and considering the success that many players from mid-majors now have in the pros, getting a crack at an NBA roster seemed reasonable... read more

Daniss Jenkins: 22.9, 6-2, Guard , St. John’sDillon Jones: 22.7, 6-5, Wing, Weber State, ESPN rank: 47

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Dillon Jones Media Availability | Portland Trail Blazers Pre-Draft Workout

Spencer Jones: 23.0. 6-7, Wing, StanfordJared McCain: 20.3, 6-3, Guard, Duke, ESPN rank: 15

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Jared McCain Media Availability | Portland Trail Blazers Pre-Draft Workout

Noah Penda: 19.5, 6-8, Wing, Ja Vichy-ClermontArmel Traore: 21.4, 6-9, Forward, Ada Blois, ESPN rank: 7

On Tuesday, the Portland Trail Blazers held their fourth predraft workout of 2024 at their practice facility in Tualatin featuring six players.&nbsp;

Dillon Jones, a 6-5 wing out of Weber State, Jared McCain, a 6-3 guard out of Duke, Armel Traore, a 6-9 forward out of Ada Blois, Daniss Jenkins, a 6-2 guard out of St. John’s, Spencer Jones, a 6-7 wing out of Stanford, and Noah Penda, a 6-8 forward out of Ja Vichy-Clermont, were put through a series of drills and scrimmages as the team evaluates which players they’ll target with the seventh, 14th, 34th and 40th picks at the 2024 Draft... read more

Melvin Ajinca: 20.0, Wing, 6-8, Saint-Quentin (France), ESPN rank: 49Cam Christie: 18.9, 6-5, Wing, Missouri, ESPN rank: 34

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Cam Christie Media Availability | Portland Trail Blazers Pre-Draft Workout

Thierry Darlan: 20.4, 6-7, Wing, G League IgniteMalik Hall: 23.9, 6-8, Forward, Michigan StateHarrison Ingram: 21.4, 6-6, Forward, North CarolinaKeshad Johnson: 23.0, 6-7, Forward, Arizona

Isaiah Crawford: 22.3, 6-6, Wing, Louisiana Tech, ESPN rank: 81Alex Karaban*: 21.6, 6-7, Forward, UCONN Caleb Love*: 22.7, 6-3, Guard, Arizona Quinten Post: 24.3, 7-0, Center, Boston College, ESPN rank: 71Tyler Smith: 19.6, 6-10, Forward, G League Ignite, ESPN rank: 27

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Tyler Smith Media Availability | Portland Trail Blazers Pre-Draft Workout

Kel’el Ware: 20.2, 7-0, Center, Indiana, ESPN rank: 25

RaeQuan Battle: 23.3, 6-5, Wing, West VirginiaAdem Bona: 21.1, 6-9, Power Forward/Center, UCLA, ESPN rank: 40

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Adem Bona Media Availability | Portland Trail Blazers Pre-Draft Workout

Arthur Kaluma*: 22.3, 6-7, Forward, Kansas State Ugonna Onyenso*: 19.7, 6-11, Power Forward/Center, KentuckyWill Richard*: 21.5, Wing, FloridaJaylon Tyson: 21.6, Wing, California, ESPN rank: 33

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Jaylon Tyson Media Availability | Portland Trail Blazers Pre-Draft Workout

(* denotes players has withdrawn from the 2024 Draft)

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Portland Trail Blazers 2024 Pre-Draft Workout Participants

He was named All-Big Sky second team after leading the conference in scoring his final season at Northern Colorado, and considering the success that many players from mid-majors now have in the pros, getting a crack at an NBA roster seemed reasonable. 

But he ultimately decided to return to college, transferring to Tennessee for his fifth and final season in the amateur ranks, after being told that there were still questions he’d need to answer.&nbsp;

“I put my name in the draft and talked to some agencies and they told me I had to go to a higher market and play against better competition,” said Knecht. “That’s what I did, took a bet on myself and it paid off pretty good.”

The 6-6 Colorado native, with averages of 21.7 points on 46 percent shooting from the field, and 40 percent from three, 4.9 rebounds and 1.8 assists in 36 games, all starts, for the Volunteers, was named a consensus First-Team All-American, a finalist for both the Wooden and Naismith awards and the SEC Player of the Year&nbsp; and is on the verge of being selected in the first round of the 2024 NBA Draft.&nbsp;

Knecht participated in a solo workout Thursday morning at the Trail Blazers’ practice facility in Tualatin with hopes of showing the team that, after going from from junior college to a small college to a land-grant university, that he’s ready to take step up to the pros.&nbsp;

“I’m going to do whatever the team needs me to do, so if that’s being a role player or whatever it needs to be, I’m going to go do that and do it at the best ability I can do,” said Knecht after his workout with the Trail Blazers. “I think I can play two and three and then if I have to, I think I can play the one. Big guard, I played it at Tennessee a little bit so I think I could play (point guard), I’m real versatile.”

The Trail Blazers own the seventh, 14th, 34th and 40th picks at the 2024 NBA Draft, which is scheduled for June 26 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn.

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Knecht Prepares For Next Step During Workout In Portland

Portland Trail Blazers

We posted our first mock draft roundup soon after the Draft Lottery set the order of the upcoming NBA Draft, and after a few weeks of workouts, it seems like the right time to check in on the latest prognostications. And while a lot of the names are the same, it still feels like we're still in the "feeling it out" stage of the process, though one might argue (and I probably would) that the assumed quality of this year's draft class means there are probably going to be remarkably disparate opinions, both in the NBA 30 front offices and among those covering the draft as media.

For example, one mock draft has the Trail Blazers selecting Kel'el Ware with the 14th overall pick while another has him going a few picks into the second round. That's a rather significant gap, and while that might be an extreme example, it illustrates just how little consensus there seems to be about this class. If you believe that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, then this is undoubtable the draft for you.

So here's the second (and sometimes third) crack at how the 2024 NBA Draft might shake out by those who follow it such things closely. At this point it's a bit hard to tell which mock drafts are predicting where players will go and which are predicting where they should go, but to each their own. Have at...

• Jon Givony and Jerami Woo at ESPN have the Trail Blazers selecting UCONN center Donovan Clingan with the seventh overall pick...

It's hard to see a scenario in which Clingan -- the&nbsp;No. 3 player on ESPN's Big Board&nbsp;-- falls to No. 7, but the Trail Blazers would surely be ecstatic with this outcome, driven by Houston, San Antonio, Detroit and Charlotte already being invested in centers they have in place.

There's chatter around the league that teams such as Portland, Memphis and Chicago might look to move up to draft Clingan earlier than this, but in this mock scenario, he falls right into the Trail Blazers' lap. Clingan brings size, length, defensive prowess, nonstop intensity and passing ability along with a back-to-back national championship pedigree. He has plenty of room for growth alongside the Blazers' core at just 20 years old.

With the 14th pick, it's Colorado freshman guard Cody Williams...

Williams has drawn strong interest from teams in the top 10, including Charlotte, San Antonio and Utah. Another viable landing spot would be Portland, where his size and defensive upside make for an appealing fit alongside the Trail Blazers' guards. His draft stock hit a bit of flux as he struggled toward the back end of Colorado's season, but lottery teams with an eye toward long-term development view him as a viable player.

The direction Portland ultimately decides to go here might hinge on what it decides to do with the No. 7 pick. But Williams -- who once was viewed as a possible top-five selection and is now ranked No. 14 in ESPN's Top 100 -- would be a good value pick should he fall here.

As for the second round, the folks at ESPN have the Trail Blazers selecting Virginian forward Ryan Dunn with the 34th pick and UCLA center Adem Bona, who already came through Portland for a workout, with the 40th pick.

• Krysten Peek at Yahoo! Sports also has Portland taking Donovan Clingan with their first first-round pick...

The Trail Blazers have invested in their backcourt during the rebuild process with Anfernee Simons, Shaedon Sharpe and Scoot Henderson, and with four picks in this draft, they could be looking to reload in the frontcourt, starting with Clingan.

At 14, Peek has the Trail Blazers taking Indiana center Kel'el Ware, who participated in workout in Portland last week...

Ware has been the biggest riser during the pre-draft process and has been working out well for multiple teams. He also measured and tested well during the combine and is a player who has shown vast improvement during his college career, first starting out at Oregon before his sophomore season at Indiana.

As for the second round, Peek has the Trail Blazers taking Kentucky guard/forward Justin Edwards with the 34th pick and Serbian guard Nikola Djurisic with the 40th pick.

• Kevin O'Connor at The Ringer has Portland taking French forward Tidjane Salaun with the seventh pick...

Salaun is incredibly raw, but the Blazers can afford to be patient with a high-upside forward who stands at 6-foot-9 and plays hard as hell in a tough French league. The Blazers are young enough and have other picks to make safer bets.

At 14, O'Connor has the Blazers selecting G League Ignite guard Ron Holland...

Holland is a top-five prospect on many big boards, but he’s out of the top 10 on others. Where will he land? Portland could be satisfied if he ends up here, with his defensive versatility and scoring upside.

At 34, O'Connor has the Trail Blazers going with Trentyn Flowers, a 19 year old guard out of Adelaide...

Despite his youth, Flowers had an impressive season playing in the NBL, and he could be a nice complement to Scoot Henderson and Shaedon Sharpe if his skills translate to the NBA.

Finally at 40, he has Portland selecting Ulrich Chomche, a 19 year old center from Cameroon...

Chomche is as raw as it gets, making him a pure upside fit for any team that selects him. And the Blazers can afford to wait.

• Colin Ward-Henninger at CBS Sports has the Trail Blazers selecting Cody Williams out of Colorado with the seventh pick...

Williams is just solid in pretty much every area and looks like he should be able to play right away, with the room to grow into a much more prolific offensive player. He won't rock the boat as Scoot Henderson takes the reins next season, and will fill much needed minutes on the wing with his 3-point shooting, playmaking upside and defensive potential.

And with 13, Ward-Henninger has Portland taking Ron Holland...

Holland has the talent of a top-five prospect, but his inefficiency and inconsistent shooting might put him more of the "development" category. That's perfect for the Blazers, who aren't slated to compete any time soon. Holland could be a plus defender very quickly and, while the offensive end might take some work, he's an excellent shot creator -- now it's just a matter of making them a bit more often.

• Sam Vecenie at The Athletic joins the mock drafters sending Donovan Clingan to Portland with the seventh pick...

Clingan is in the mix to go higher than this, as the teams with top-three picks have each displayed interest. He had a monster close to the season, helping lead Connecticut to the national title while averaging 13.7 points, 8.6 rebounds and 2.9 blocks over his last 18 games, including 16 points, 9.4 rebounds and three blocks per game in his last seven. After returning from early-season ankle and foot injuries and getting back up to speed, he was one of the most dominant players in college basketball.

Using his enormous frame, Clingan shuts down the paint. He moves well for his size and is an elite drop coverage defender who stops ballhandlers from turning the corner on him and getting to the rim. His ability to backpedal on-balance is rare for his size. When not defending the ball, he makes his presence felt when necessary. The other part of Clingan’s game that impressed evaluators was his passing. In the back half of the season, he became an excellent dribble-handoff big, as well as a playmaker for cutters and shooters off kickouts. He’s a sharp screener and knows how to play in a modern offense.

The Blazers already have Deandre Ayton and Robert Williams III at center, so Clingan does not seem like a clear fit. If the Blazers simply think he’s the best player — or at least the best non-ballhandler — on the board, they might just take him and figure out the rest later, especially with a second lottery pick in hand. Also, if Clingan dropped into the No. 4 to No. 8 range — where all of the teams have long-term answers at center that they’re comfortable with — don’t be surprised if another team looks to trade up to get him. He’s viewed favorably across the board by NBA teams due to his defensive prowess and seemingly easy fit into an NBA drop coverage scheme.

At 13, Veceine has Portland selecting Duke guard Jared McCain, who was just in town for a predraft workout...

The Blazers have a number of options with this pick and should be open to all of them. Here, I went with McCain because he potentially could be a terrific long-term backcourt partner for&nbsp;Scoot Henderson&nbsp;and would open up some potential trade avenues for veterans&nbsp;Anfernee Simons&nbsp;and&nbsp;Malcolm Brogdon, both of whom have contracts that expire within the next two years.

McCain was seen as a potential one-and-done lottery prospect entering the season before a slow start made evaluators pause. However, over the last two-thirds of the season, McCain was one of the best freshman scorers in high-major college basketball. Starting with Duke’s Dec. 9 game against Charlotte, McCain averaged 16.2 points, 5.2 rebounds and 1.9 assists over his last 28 games. He made 41.6 percent of his 6.4 3-point attempts per game during that span and consistently got into the lane in transition or when driving closeouts. I also thought he improved drastically on defense over his final 15 or so games.

And in the second round, the Athletic has the Trail Blazers taking Pacome Dadiet, a 18 year old wing out of Ratiopharm Ulm (which is a basketball team I assume?) and Clemson forward P.J. Hall with the 40th pick.

• Zach Buckley at Bleacher Report (they had Jonathan Wasserman put together their previous mock draft) has Portland selecting Tennessee wing Dalton Knecht with their first selection...

Coming off a campaign in which they lost 61 games, the Blazers could aim for more upside with someone like Ron Holland or Tidjane Salaun. Then again, they might feel like they're covered on the potential front by Scoot Henderson and Shaedon Sharpe.  Plus, they have sort of indicated a desire to put capable contributors around them by retaining veterans such as Jerami Grant, Malcolm Brogdon and Deandre Ayton.  If the aim is to put the young players—Henderson, in particular—in a position to succeed, then adding an older bucket-getter such as Dalton Knecht might be the move.  The 6'6" scorer is skilled, polished and super-productive. His lone season in the SEC (he transferred to Tennessee from Northern Colorado) yielded 21.7 points per game and a 45.8/39.7/77.2 shooting slash. 

At 13, the Bleacher Reporters have Portland going with freshman guard Ja'Kobe Walter out of Baylor...

If this mock actually played out in real life, you might hear audible groans emanating from the Pacific Northwest with the prior selections of Ron Holland and Tidjane Salaun. Because if the Blazers play it safe with Dalton Knecht earlier in the lottery, this is a perfect spot to chase potential.

Ja'Kobe Walter is an electric, 19-year-old shot-maker with the footwork to catch and fire on the move and the handles to free himself in spurts. He isn't a defensive stopper at the moment, but he could become one with the right amount of development.

• Cody Taylor at USA Today has Portland selecting Tidjane Salaun with the seventh pick...

Salaün, who turns 19 in August, has dazzled over the second half of his season with Cholet, and he recently produced 19 points, eight rebounds and three assists in the French League playoffs. His recent run has vaulted him up the draft. The Frenchman is now considered a top 10 pick.

He is highly touted for his ability to handle the ball in transition, drive and finish at the rim. He crashes the glass with force and can defend multiple positions with his reported 7-foot, 2-inch wingspan. He is a bit raw but the tools are in place to develop into an impact player at the next level.

And at 13, Taylor has the Trail Blazers going with Duke center Kyle Filipowski...

Filipowski&nbsp;was a consensus second-team All-American after averaging 16.4 points, 8.3 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 1.5 blocks and 1.1 steals on 50.5% shooting from the field. He led the team in nearly every category and became the seventh Blue Devil in the past 50 years to eclipse 1,000 points in his first two seasons.

The 7-footer fine-tuned some of his weaknesses this past season. He improved from 28.2% last year to 34.8% from 3-point range on 3.1 attempts per game and doubled his block percentage to 5.7 this past season. With his recent improvement, Filipowski should be a good addition for teams in this range.

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Trail Blazers All Over The Place In The Most Recent Mock Drafts

Dillon Jones, a 6-5 wing out of Weber State, Jared McCain, a 6-3 guard out of Duke, Armel Traore, a 6-9 forward out of Ada Blois, Daniss Jenkins, a 6-2 guard out of St. John’s, Spencer Jones, a 6-7 wing out of Stanford, and Noah Penda, a 6-8 forward out of Ja Vichy-Clermont, were put through a series of drills and scrimmages as the team evaluates which players they’ll target with the seventh, 14th, 34th and 40th picks at the 2024 Draft.

For Dillon Jones, who ESPN lists as the 47th best player in the upcoming NBA Draft, Tuesday’s workout was an opportunity to highlight some of the skills that earned him Player of the Year honors in the Big Sky last season.&nbsp;

“My versatility, I can play any spot on the floor that I’m asked,” said Jones. “I think one thing I wanted to display was my passing ability, being able to make plays for other players, especially on a team like this if I’m gracious enough to play here. A lot of good scorers, Shaedon (Sharpe), Ant (Simons), Scoot (Henderson), whoever else, Jerami (Grant), so you’ve got to be able to be a good passer for those guys, so I just wanted to show that. Also show my ability to guard and shoot the ball. That might be one of the questions about me in this draft but I just wanted to show that I can shoot the ball and I think I did that really well today.”

Jones, who played four seasons at Weber State, averaged 20.8 points on 49 percent shooting from the field, 32 percent shooting from three and 86 percent shooting from the line, 9.0 rebounds, 5.2 assists and 2.0 steals in 37.0 minutes per game in his last year in Ogden, UT.&nbsp;

While Jones is trying to make his NBA dream come true after playing four years at a small school, Jared McCain came to Tuesday’s workout after playing just one season at Duke, one of the NCAA’s premiere programs. Jones, one of the highest-rated players by ESPN to work out for the Trail Blazers thus far, is also trying to show teams that he’s refined some of the skills he displayed in 36 games, all starts, last season for the Blue Devils.

“They want to see me play defense against smaller, quicker guards,” said McCain. “Rebounding has been one of my most translatable skills -- that and shooting -- so just continuing to show that I can do that at a high level. And then obviously just playing defense and making reads on the ball.”

The 6-3 guard who grew up in southern California averaged 14.3 points on 46 percent shooting from the field and 41 percent shooting from three while taking over half of his attempts from behind the arc.&nbsp;

“My shooting is going to be what leads me to the floor, being able to communicate well on defense, be a team defense player,” said McCain. “I think me being young, I come into the league just ready to learn and I think I can use my shooting and just being curious. That will lead to playing minutes.”&nbsp;

Portland is expected to host two more workouts this week and will continue to bring in more players in preparation for the 2024 Draft, which is scheduled for June 26 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn.&nbsp;

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Trail Blazers Host Fourth Workout As 2024 Draft Approaches

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