Trail Blazers News: Schedule, Broadcast Info for 2024 NBA Draft
The Portland Trail Blazers are one of the key mystery teams of this week's 2024 NBA Draft, slated to tip off at 4:30 p.m. PT/7:30 p.m. ET on ABC, ESPN and ESPN+.
Portland team president Joe Cronin has been carefully about not tipping his hand with regard to how he intends to use the team's four draft picks. The club has been considered a contender to move up in the draft. At present, the Trail Blazers possess two lottery picks, No. 7 (Portland's own pick) and No. 14 (acquired in a trade with the Golden State Warriors), plus two second round selections with the Nos. 34 and 40 picks.
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Per ESPN's big board, Kentucky guards Reed Sheppard and Rob Dillingham, G League Ignite swingman Matas Buzelis, Connecticut point guard Stephon Castle, Tennessee sharpshooter Dalton Knecht, French power forward Tidjane Salaün and injured Serbian point guard Nikola Topić could all be on the table for the Trail Blazers with their top pick. To acquire UConn center Donovan Clingan or French forwards Zaccharie Risacher and Alex Sarr, however, Cronin would most likely need to trade up.
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The Trail Blazers could also look to package some of their veteran contracts in other deals tonight, as the team is already into the luxury tax despite fielding a roster that went 21-61 last season.
Last year, Portland drafted point guard Scoot Henderson with the third pick out of the G League Ignite, power forward Kris Murray out of Iowa (via a trade with the New York Knicks) with the No. 23 selection, and French shooting guard Ryen Rupert from the NBL's New Zealand Breakers with the No. 43 pick.
Henderson was drafted ahead of eventual All-Rookie Team selections Jaime Jaquez Jr. (the No. 18 pick), Brandin Podziemski (the No. 19 pick), Dereck Lively II (No. 12), GG Jackson (No. 45), Keyonte George (No. 16), Amen Thompson (No. 4), and Cason Wallace (No. 10). Will the uneven young point guard eventually prove to have been the right selection? Time will tell.
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ALEX KIRSCHENBAUM
Clyde, Rick Barry, and Pistol Pete Now these players, could never be beat.