Trail Blazers News: 2 Sharpshooting Forwards Mocked to Portland

The club has a pair of lottery picks in next month's 2024 NBA Draft.

Team Detlef forward Matas Buzelis, right, of the G League Ignite celebrates with a teammate. / Grace Hollars / USA TODAY NETWORK

The Portland Trail Blazers, armed with a pair of picks in next month's 2024 NBA Draft, have a variety of intriguing options from which to select.

A fresh mock draft courtesy of Ben Couch of NBA.com predicts two solid shooting forwards will be selected by Portland general manager Joe Cronin, which makes sense given that that's the area most in need of help among the team's overall youth movement, loaded with guards and centers.

6-foot-8 G League Ignite forward Matas Buzelis has been mocked to the Trail Blazers with the No. 7 pick. He is commonly off the board by this point in a lot of other drafts, Couch cautions.

"Big forward with a shooting touch that escaped him in a single season playing for Ignite," Couch writes in his assessment of Buzelis and his fit. "Its return could deliver a big win later than expected in this Draft."

6-foot-9 Cholet Basket forward Tidjane Salaun, frequently mocked in at the No. 14 spot at the end of the lottery, is picked right there by Portland in Couch's mock.

"Raw 18-year-old projects as a rangy, switchable defender who can capitalize on strong off-ball instincts and a developing shot from range," Couch notes.

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