The Portland Trail Blazers now know that they will be picking at Nos. 7 & 14 in the NBA Draft next month, along with a pair of second-round picks.
Here’s a look at who the team took in the lottery of Bleacher Report’s latest mock draft from Zach Buckley:
No. 7 pick Nikola Topic
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.
No. 14 pick (via Warriors) Ja’Kobe Walter, 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.
BE community, what do you think of the above prospects? Chime off in the comments below.