Thursday will be a huge day in the reshaping of the Portland Trail Blazers under general manager Joe Cronin.
For better, or for worse.
Following a season of injuries that led to a grand display of tanking, the Blazers’ rebuild got off to a bumpy start with the loss of the New Orleans’ potential lottery pick and netting just the No. 7 pick in the NBA draft lottery.
But those situations were out of the control of Cronin and the Blazers. The NBA draft, which begins at 5 p.m., is a different animal.
The Blazers decide whom they select following the first six picks. Or Cronin could elect to trade the pick for a veteran player. Whatever happens, the move is going to help determine the short-term and long-term fate of the franchise.
Trading that pick doesn’t appear to be as likely following Wednesday’s news that the Blazers acquired Detroit forward Jerami Grant for a 2025 first-round pick Portland received from the Pelicans after the lottery pick didn’t materialize. An exchange of second-round picks is also involved in the deal, according to reports.
Now the Blazers are set at power forward as they enter the draft. Landing Grant, 28, for a pick three years out was huge for Cronin and should please star Damian Lillard. He has stated seemingly 100 times that he wants to remain in Portland. But he also said last offseason that he wants to do so only if he at least has a chance to contend for a championship. Grant, who led the Pistons with 19.2 points per game last season, doesn’t make the Blazers contenders, but he makes them better.
Actually developing into contenders would be next to impossible should the Blazers fail to maximize the No. 7 pick. Especially given that the team traded away CJ McCollum and Norman Powell with the expectations of landing comparable talent that better fits the current roster.
When the final chapter of the Lillard era in Portland is written, the use of this pick will be a key storyline. Cronin cannot afford a whiff.
Here is a look at the options that Cronin, who will also be working with the No. 46 and No. 57 picks in the second round, could be considering with the seventh pick:
1. Trade the pick for a veteran starter: Along with Grant, the Blazers had been linked in trade rumors to Atlanta forward John Collins, 24 and Toronto forward OG Anunoby, 24.
With Grant already onboard, dealing the pick wouldn’t appear to be as likely. However, further adding veterans to better fit Lillard’s timeline would still appear to be more desirable than adding a rookie.
Collins would still be an ideal choice given his offensive versatility. The versatile Grant could then play small forward.
Anunoby would also add versatility and could play small forward alongside Grant. Anunoby is the best defender out of the bunch with budding offensive talent.
2. Trade back in the draft: The Blazers could punt at No. 7 and use the pick to acquire a veteran player while also trading back for a later pick.
One rumor floated had the Blazers sending the No. 7 pick to Oklahoma City for guard Luguentz Dort and the Thunder’s No. 12 pick. Why the Blazers would want yet another 6-3 guard given that they traded McCollum and Powell, and plan to start the 6-foot-3 Anfernee Simons at shooting guard with the 6-5 Josh Hart as the backup, would be a question for Cronin. But Dort is a quality defender who has flashed some growing offensive abilities.
The Blazers could maybe attempt to finesse Atlanta for its No. 16 pick in a deal for Collins and the No. 7 pick.
The Blazers worked out several players who certainly would not make sense at No. 7 but could be had later in the draft, such as Arizona guard Dalen Terry, Baylor power forward Jeremy Sochan and LSU forward Tari Eason.
Trading up is always an option, but doesn’t appear to be a very likely one for the Blazers at this point. However, if they truly covet a player higher in the draft, the Blazers could dangle No. 7 and a future first-round pick and/or a player in front of a team and see if they bite.
3. Keep the pick: Last, but certainly not least, the Blazers could simply take a high-end prospect at No. 7 and hope for the best.
The danger in trading the pick is passing up on a rising talent who could blossom into a star down the road. However, the vast majority of draft picks, even in the top 10, never develop into becoming viable starters on good teams, let alone stars. Still, the trick for Cronin is making sure that he doesn’t pass up on a generational talent for the quick fix. The other challenge is not gambling on the wrong young player and regretting it later.
The Blazers have fulfilled their need at power forward but could still be very interested in Iowa’s Keegan Murray, 21. He is versatile, can shoot, plays strong defense and could be the type of player who contributes right away while developing. Unfortunately for the Blazers, Murray is likely to be gone by No. 6.
The next option would be to take a swing at a young guard or small forward and hope they develop into a star. High on the list could be Kentucky guard Shaedon Sharpe, 19. He didn’t play last season after not enrolling at Kentucky until January and then electing to only practice with the Wildcats while preparing for the draft.
Sharpe is an athletic marvel, who reportedly displayed a 49-inch vertical leap. During his workout with the Blazers, Sharpe rose in the air and pinned a would-be layup attempt on the backboard in a display of said vertical. He also has a silky smooth jump shot that’s still in development, a feathery touch, lateral agility, the ability to create his own shot at will and a willingness to defend. However, he has displayed none of this beyond high school and the AAU circuit. So, he is a gamble. Could he be the next Anthony Edwards (Minnesota’s rising star guard)? Or the next Dennis Smith Jr. (the No. 9 pick in 2017 who despite his extreme athleticism never reached his potential)?
If Sharpe trends closer to the former, then the Blazers would get a player who could help in the next few years and form a dynamic backcourt duo with Simons once Lillard’s career comes to a close.
Other likely options at No. 7 could be Arizona guard Bennedict Mathurin, 19, Memphis center/forward Jalen Duren, 18, Duke small forward AJ Griffin, 19, and G League Ignite guard/forward Dyson Daniels, 19.
Each comes with upside and, of course, risk.
The last time the Blazers selected close to this high in the draft, they snagged Lillard at No. 6 and changed the trajectory of the franchise.
Now Cronin has the opportunity to replicate that success by giving the Blazers a much-needed infusion of high-end talent.
-- Aaron Fentress | afentress@Oregonian.com | @AaronJFentress (Twitter), @AaronJFentress (Instagram), @AaronFentress (Facebook).
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