2023 NBA Draft Guide: Portland Trail Blazers

A draft guide for the Trail Blazers, who are armed with the third overall pick and some up-and-coming young prospects.
2023 NBA Draft Guide: Portland Trail Blazers
2023 NBA Draft Guide: Portland Trail Blazers /

The Portland Trail Blazers saw some luck on lottery night, jumping to the third overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft.

Now, they face some tricky decisions, some of which may be out of their control due to the Charlotte Hornets’ selection at second overall.

Draft Digest writer Derek Parker put together a draft guide specifically for the Trail Blazers, featuring asset rankings, options for the team with the third pick and analysis:

For Portland, everything starts and ends with superstar Damian Lillard, who appears to be the focal point as the team moves forward. If that's the case, signing Jerami Grant to a new deal and moving on from the third pick for win-now assets are the likeliest options.

But an honest look at the Portland roster — especially in comparison to the deeper rosters of NBA Finals teams Denver and Miami — tells us that the team could be much further away from true contention than they'd like. And with the No. 3 pick, an asset they may not see again anytime soon, it could be time to move into a new era of Trail Blazer basketball.

The third pick, via options like Ignite point guard Scoot Henderson or Overtime Elite hybrid Amen Thompson, could offer that to Portland as well. And if all falls through, the team has a solid tweener option in Alabama's Brandon Miller, who could provide some shooting and defensive juice as a rookie.

All this and more is discussed at length in the Portland draft guide.


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Derek Parker
DEREK PARKER

Derek Parker covers the National Basketball Association, and has brought On SI five seasons of coverage across several different teams. He graduated from the University of Central Oklahoma in 2020, and has experience working in print, video and radio.