Trail Blazers News: Projecting How Portland Will Approach Its 2 Lottery Picks

The club has the Nos. 7 and 14 selections in this year's draft.

Oct 28, 2022; Portland, Oregon, USA; Portland Trail Blazers general manager Joe Cronin looks ion before the game against the Houston Rockets at Moda Center. Mandatory Credit: Soobum Im-USA TODAY Sports / Soobum Im-USA TODAY Sports

Ahead a wide-open 2024 NBA Draft, the Portland Trail Blazers sure seem to be putting in the work. On Thursday, the team worked out Duke center Kyle Filipowski, Colorado forward Tristan Da Silva, Mega Basket swingman Nikola Djurisic, Memphis guard David Jones, Arizona guard Pelle Larsson and Maryland guard Jahmir Young, according to Sean Highkin of The Rose Garden Report.

Portland owns the Nos. 7, 14, 34 and 40 picks as of this writing.

So which players are on Trail Blazers general manager Joe Cronin's radar? Highkin adds in a separate piece that he predicts Cronin will avoid burning at least the first of its two lottery selections on a guard, given that the team is already fielding a roster deep with young backcourt prospects, led by recent lottery picks Scoop Henderson and Shaedon Sharpe. Kentucky guards Reed Sheppard and Rob Dillingham will likely be off the board by the time Portland's No. 14 pick rolls around. If two-time University of Connecticut championship-winning center Donovan Clingan is still available with the seventh pick, Highkin thinks he could be in play for the Trail Blazers.

Crvena zvezda Meridianbet guard Nikola Topic tore his ACL and could theoretically fall to the No. 14 pick. Highkin adds that consensus All-American wing Dalton Knecht impressed the Trail Blazers during his audition for the team in the pre-draft process.

In terms of what Highkin expects Portland to want when it comes to player profiles, he notes that the club seems to generally prioritize upside above all else.

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