2025 Blazer Draft Prospects

[Case2012]

I honestly think the biggest swing would be Clifford, just because of his age and that he doesn't measure out with freak athleticism or length but I think he's the second best current player overall next to Flagg. Or maybe not second best overall but the closest player to Flagg in playing style, being a winner, handling the ball, vision, motor etc. I would take him 10x out of 10 if we pick at 10. I don't think he gets past OKC at 15 and they don't need anymore guys like that, so I think we should take him 10 unless we can move back just a few spots for another minor asset?

I realllly want Clayton JR too, we need shooting so bad and he screams Pritchard 2.0. How to get him? Just by praying Cronin can pull off trading our vets for at least one more first round pick, despite how bad he is at acquiring them. Hopefully we trade Ant and he can take over back up PG duties for Scoot.

Scoot/ WCJ
Sharpe/ Clifford
Camara/ Thybulle
Deni/ Walker? Murray? =/
Ayton/ Clingan


In a perfect world we draft Lendeborg to back up Deni in addition to Clifford and WCJ, but yeah. Idk, I think minus an MVP level player we start to look like OKC a little bit if we added those 3 guys, or at least 2.

[Tim Lehrbach]

One really primitive thing I have started doing to make my "first cut" of non-big prospects is ask whether they show all three "threats" at a high level when receiving the ball, especially in motion. And to the triple threat I add one more focus area: ability to do basketball things in motion or coming to a stop.

Folks who ignore the college game (as I do until peak scouting season) might be surprised at the number of successful college players who get by without being credible threats putting the ball on the floor (by which I mean beating NCAA talent easily with the dribble, as though it would take somebody much quicker and savvier to stay in front of them), making quick reads and clever passes, or shooting high and quick enough to have a prayer against NBA closeouts. Rarer still is the ability to do any of this while in motion, in traffic, or against contact. And I'm talking just these first moves upon the catch; nothing to do with their finishing, the accuracy of their shots or passes, or the niftyness of their handles, let alone their overall athletic gifts.

In short: if I don't see instantaneous passes exhibiting quick thinking and creativity, capable first steps that blow by hapless college defenders, or the lightning release need to shoot over NBA defenders -- any one of the three -- they don't make my first cut. No, passing this "test" won't save you if you simply aren't an NBA athlete, but this is just a first cut. Yes, some good or developing players will be missed by this method, but the bet I'm making is that the players who don't make this cut are risky investments because they lack fundamental feel for the game. Now, evaluating athleticism and polish of skills beyond that is a much harder task, and frankly I suck at it. So I stick to my super basic study and then, admittedly, tend to follow the stats and the herd for the balance of my "scouting."

All of this leads me to my emerging views on this year's class and to Kon Knueppel, one of the first guys I've taken even a shallow dive on. I know he's polarizing. I've watched more of Knueppel's (partial) games in the past few days. I began the season skeptical, but I am increasingly convinced. He passes my test, and as for the rest... well, in my uninformed opinion he passes as an NBA athlete, too, even if it requires squinting a little bit.

Kon strikes me as one who may lack (relatively unimportant) end-to-end speed but has highly functional acceleration/deceleration, which not only makes him effective with the ball but gives me some hope for his defense to come along. The shot is quick and sound. The handles (with both hands) look tight. The processing, as I think BlazersBroncos noted on the last page, is impressive, although I did observe that he completed some passes that may not be so easy when his receivers do not possess obvious physical advantages over their opponents.

And yes, his lateral quickness, hops, wingspan, and other defensive tangibles don't scream NBA prospect, but man, there's just so much there to work with. He won't look like the jumbo wing he was at Duke, but he's tall enough, sturdy, and has room to grow even more into that frame. I can see a scenario where he puts in the work to transform somewhat into a small-ball four, even, or at least a true "forward." I know: when you get to the point where you're hoping for a player to change significantly to maximize his success, you are reminding yourself of his limitations. But even if that's an outrageous projection, I think he more than holds his own strictly as a wing. I gasped at the Luke Babbitt mention, but I honestly don't remember his college years to compare. Is Kon's worst case a cup of coffee in the league and a ticket to an eastern European league? Possibly. I highly doubt that happens.

Would I much rather pick a guy like Kon (with his comparables both solidly NBA players and long-forgotten also-rans) when there is less at stake and I just hope I'm getting a gem? Of course. But his ability put him out of that reach. Even in the mid-to-late lottery, I'd be tempted. I'll keep looking into other players, but Kon's stock rises the more I see.

Sorry to anybody who's read this far. I'll keep posting as I have time to study more guys in this class. Mind you, some of my top (non-big) prospects in recent years included Scoot Henderson, Anthony Black, Jaime Jaquez, Keegan Murray, Shaedon Sharpe, Jalen Suggs, Isaac Okoro, Killian Hayes... I'm not exactly picking future HOFers here. But, Hayes aside, I generally do filter out the busts.

[dckingsfan]

Trade the pick. Either move up or move out.

Or trade down for two picks (opinion).

[BlazersBroncos]

One really primitive thing I have started doing to make my "first cut" of non-big prospects is ask whether they show all three "threats" at a high level when receiving the ball, especially in motion. And to the triple threat I add one more focus area: ability to do basketball things in motion or coming to a stop.

Folks who ignore the college game (as I do until peak scouting season) might be surprised at the number of successful college players who get by without being credible threats putting the ball on the floor (by which I mean beating NCAA talent easily with the dribble, as though it would take somebody much quicker and savvier to stay in front of them), making quick reads and clever passes, or shooting high and quick enough to have a prayer against NBA closeouts. Rarer still is the ability to do any of this while in motion, in traffic, or against contact. And I'm talking just these first moves upon the catch; nothing to do with their finishing, the accuracy of their shots or passes, or the niftyness of their handles, let alone their overall athletic gifts.

In short: if I don't see instantaneous passes exhibiting quick thinking and creativity, capable first steps that blow by hapless college defenders, or the lightning release need to shoot over NBA defenders -- any one of the three -- they don't make my first cut. No, passing this "test" won't save you if you simply aren't an NBA athlete, but this is just a first cut. Yes, some good or developing players will be missed by this method, but the bet I'm making is that the players who don't make this cut are risky investments because they lack fundamental feel for the game. Now, evaluating athleticism and polish of skills beyond that is a much harder task, and frankly I suck at it. So I stick to my super basic study and then, admittedly, tend to follow the stats and the herd for the balance of my "scouting."

All of this leads me to my emerging views on this year's class and to Kon Knueppel, one of the first guys I've taken even a shallow dive on. I know he's polarizing. I've watched more of Knueppel's (partial) games in the past few days. I began the season skeptical, but I am increasingly convinced. He passes my test, and as for the rest... well, in my uninformed opinion he passes as an NBA athlete, too, even if it requires squinting a little bit.

Kon strikes me as one who may lack (relatively unimportant) end-to-end speed but has highly functional acceleration/deceleration, which not only makes him effective with the ball but gives me some hope for his defense to come along. The shot is quick and sound. The handles (with both hands) look tight. The processing, as I think BlazersBroncos noted on the last page, is impressive, although I did observe that he completed some passes that may not be so easy when his receivers do not possess obvious physical advantages over their opponents.

And yes, his lateral quickness, hops, wingspan, and other defensive tangibles don't scream NBA prospect, but man, there's just so much there to work with. He won't look like the jumbo wing he was at Duke, but he's tall enough, sturdy, and has room to grow even more into that frame. I can see a scenario where he puts in the work to transform somewhat into a small-ball four, even, or at least a true "forward." I know: when you get to the point where you're hoping for a player to change significantly to maximize his success, you are reminding yourself of his limitations. But even if that's an outrageous projection, I think he more than holds his own strictly as a wing. I gasped at the Luke Babbitt mention, but I honestly don't remember his college years to compare. Is Kon's worst case a cup of coffee in the league and a ticket to an eastern European league? Possibly. I highly doubt that happens.

Would I much rather pick a guy like Kon (with his comparables both solidly NBA players and long-forgotten also-rans) when there is less at stake and I just hope I'm getting a gem? Of course. But his ability put him out of that reach. Even in the mid-to-late lottery, I'd be tempted. I'll keep looking into other players, but Kon's stock rises the more I see.

Sorry to anybody who's read this far. I'll keep posting as I have time to study more guys in this class. Mind you, some of my top (non-big) prospects in recent years included Scoot Henderson, Anthony Black, Jaime Jaquez, Keegan Murray, Shaedon Sharpe, Jalen Suggs, Isaac Okoro, Killian Hayes... I'm not exactly picking future HOFers here. But, Hayes aside, I generally do filter out the busts.

Great post.

I think something undersold about Kon is his frame. The guy is big and sturdy. Listed at 6'7 217lbs he is nearly 20lbs bigger than the 6'10 Ace Bailey, 10lbs bigger than 6'9 Flagg, 37lbs bigger than VJ (!!!), and 10lbs heavier than the post centric Asa. He is built a bit like a SG version of Luka - and he knows how to use it.

Its easy to compare him to Kennard but Luke put up nothing close to what Kon did as a freshman. Kon was a maestro running the PNR - Luke as a freshman was waiting for kickouts for a open 3.

[dckingsfan]

I honestly think the biggest swing would be Clifford, just because of his age and that he doesn't measure out with freak athleticism or length but I think he's the second best current player overall next to Flagg. Or maybe not second best overall but the closest player to Flagg in playing style, being a winner, handling the ball, vision, motor etc. I would take him 10x out of 10 if we pick at 10. I don't think he gets past OKC at 15 and they don't need anymore guys like that, so I think we should take him 10 unless we can move back just a few spots for another minor asset?

I realllly want Clayton JR too, we need shooting so bad and he screams Pritchard 2.0. How to get him? Just by praying Cronin can pull off trading our vets for at least one more first round pick, despite how bad he is at acquiring them. Hopefully we trade Ant and he can take over back up PG duties for Scoot.

Scoot/ WCJ
Sharpe/ Clifford
Camara/ Thybulle
Deni/ Walker? Murray? =/
Ayton/ Clingan

In a perfect world we draft Lendeborg to back up Deni in addition to Clifford and WCJ, but yeah. Idk, I think minus an MVP level player we start to look like OKC a little bit if we added those 3 guys, or at least 2.

Clifford is mocking out in the 16-24 range. Lendeborg in the 24-30 range. Clayton in the 20-27 range. Sounds like you would be good with trading back for two of the three?

One more thing. Sharpe, Clifford and Thybulle are all going to play SG, IMO. Which of those three do you let go the following season?

[Butter]

Trade the pick. Either move up or move out.

Or trade down for two picks (opinion).

It could be an option. I think some, maybe a lot of fans this year were expecting to tank for Flagg or Bailey to try to secure a future star. Since that didn't happen, I am hoping they Blazers can consolidate some of their current talent to move up to secure complimentary skills.

My primary target at the moment is Tre Johnson. His perimeter shooting, on a rookie deal would be a great fit on this team, IMHO.

[zzaj]

At this point, I think it's all in Schmitz' and the rest of the scouts' hands. It's very unlikely the Blazers are going to get a franchise changing player where they are picking--the FO and Ownership appear to have prioritized winning and securing new contracts over a chance at a player like that.

My hope is that Cronin finds a team that falls in love with a 10th pick and is able to package it with a vet to move down a couple spots to draft a player that they really have targeted. I like Clifford a lot, and I like Fleming a lot.

Knowing Cronin however, he'll probably draft a non-shooting SF/PF type and then that player will have to eek out minutes playing behind Deni, Camara, Grant, and Murray next year, because Crolshey probably thinks this roster is a 6th seed in the POs.

[Butter]

At this point, I think it's all in Schmitz' and the rest of the scouts' hands. It's very unlikely the Blazers are going to get a franchise changing player where they are picking--the FO and Ownership appear to have prioritized winning and securing new contracts over a chance at a player like that.

My hope is that Cronin finds a team that falls in love with a 10th pick and is able to package it with a vet to move down a couple spots to draft a player that they really have targeted. I like Clifford a lot, and I like Fleming a lot.

Knowing Cronin however, he'll probably draft a non-shooting SF/PF type and then that player will have to eek out minutes playing behind Deni, Camara, Grant, and Murray next year, because Crolshey probably thinks this roster is a 6th seed in the POs.

Man, I see what you're saying, but it feels vanilla to me. Let's say for a second that the Blazers do NOT extend Ayton, Simons, or Thybulle. Assuming the DO extend Sharp and Tou, the Blazers have clear future starters at every position:.

PG: Scoot
SG: Sharp
SF: Camara
PF: Deni
C: Clingan

Your option seems to help build depth, which they absolutely could use.

OR

They could attempt to upgrade positions. If they use the draft to try to upgrade a position, it seems like trading up would be prudent. If they do trade up, my concept is to package the #10 with Sharp to get into the top five to draft Trey Johnson AND avoid paying Shaedon the extension.

Result

PG: Scoot (rookie contract)
SG: Johnson (rookie contract)
SF: Camara (extension)
PF: Deni (team friendly contract)
C: Clingan (rookie contract)

[zzaj]

At this point, I think it's all in Schmitz' and the rest of the scouts' hands. It's very unlikely the Blazers are going to get a franchise changing player where they are picking--the FO and Ownership appear to have prioritized winning and securing new contracts over a chance at a player like that.

My hope is that Cronin finds a team that falls in love with a 10th pick and is able to package it with a vet to move down a couple spots to draft a player that they really have targeted. I like Clifford a lot, and I like Fleming a lot.

Knowing Cronin however, he'll probably draft a non-shooting SF/PF type and then that player will have to eek out minutes playing behind Deni, Camara, Grant, and Murray next year, because Crolshey probably thinks this roster is a 6th seed in the POs.

Man, I see what you're saying, but it feels vanilla to me. Let's say for a second that the Blazers do NOT extend Ayton, Simons, or Thybulle. Assuming the DO extend Sharp and Tou, the Blazers have clear future starters at every position:.

PG: Scoot
SG: Sharp
SF: Camara
PF: Deni
C: Clingan

Your option seems to help build depth, which they absolutely could use.

OR

They could attempt to upgrade positions. If they use the draft to try to upgrade a position, it seems like trading up would be prudent. If they do trade up, my concept is to package the #10 with Sharp to get into the top five to draft Trey Johnson AND avoid paying Shaedon the extension.

Result

PG: Scoot (rookie contract)
SG: Johnson (rookie contract)
SF: Camara (extension)
PF: Deni (team friendly contract)
C: Clingan (rookie contract)

If the Scouts identify Tre with a higher ceiling than Sharpe, I'd be okay with your path. Like many of us, I worry about investing huge money in Sharpe as being "the franchise guy"...I just don't see the next level ability in him to overcome his lack of intensity (like a Kawhi, for example). FWIW, I still believe the best contracts in the NBA are rookie scale attached to players that produce. If Tre comes in and averages 18/2/2, then that's TREMENDOUS value on a rookie contract.

Problem is, the type of move you describe is a rebuild move...one that in the short-term could make the team worse, while potentially better long-term. And that's completely ignoring the salary point you bring up. Based on Cronin's exit interview, I think he's not thinking 'one step back/two steps forward' anymore. If he's making a big swing, it'll be for an established player to move them into the POs. I have a hard time believing too that he'd give up on Sharpe...

The "vanilla" you speak of screams Cronin to me. He's mostly made vanilla decisions in his time in Portland...and I have a feeling he inherited the 'overvalue your players' gene from Olshey.

[Walton1one]

No Ceilings with a very deep dive on Nolan Traore

https://www.noceilingsnba.com/p/buying-the-dip-with-nolan-traore?utm_source=post-email-title&publication_id=536361&post_id=161632755&utm_campaign=email-post-title&isFreemail=true&r=1f5gb9&triedRedirect=true&utm_medium=email

Traore’s appeal is clear as a prospect: he’s a fast, strong point guard who can easily get to the rim and run an offense. Traore’s physical advantages stem from his speed, which stands out even amongst pro leagues with players a decade his senior, but they also include his quick reflexes. When baked into his methodical decision-making at a breakneck pace of play, Traore looked like he could do much of what NBA teams look for in modern point guards.

The table was set for Traore’s stock, which had soared into Top 7 conversations for us and other outlets, to ride high to next year’s lottery...Instead, Traore had what many considered a stagnant season at best and a troubling season at worst...After reevaluating him, I feel more confident that he will be on my draft board in the teens. Despite his struggles, based on his season’s tape and stats, I feel like Traore’s stock should be an easy lock as a first round draft pick, and soon the tides will turn publicly too, as more people start to look back on his season overall.

So what led to Nolan Traore’s major stock sell-off this season? A lack of growth, or rather, a lack of notable growth straight off the box score...Despite an offseason to prepare, Nolan Traore was virtually the same player: an average floor general who could spread the ball around with some turnover and efficiency issues...Traore's biggest swing skill is his shooting touch. You must hit shots off the catch and the dribble to be a successful NBA guard. You can be an acceptable guard and maybe even a starter if you can do one exceptionally well, but a lack of floor spacing can tank a stock faster than a bad earnings call...Traore is still a streaky shooter at best and a middling shooter at worst...Traore has shot 48/167 on three-pointers, or just 28.7% from beyond the arc. That percentage won’t cut it against NBA defenses hungry to exploit weaknesses to stymie an offense...His pull-up game hurts Traore the most as a shooter right now. In two seasons, Traore has shot just 19/70, or 27.1%, on pull-up two-pointers and 27/112, or 24.1%, on pull-up threes. These frigid numbers are the biggest thing holding back Nolan Traore’s draft stock, as they represent fundamental weaknesses to overcome in his game. His lack of a consistent pull-up diminishes his effectiveness as a driver and pick-and-roll operator due to how defenses can play him.

The main issues with Traore’s pull-up shooting now center around shot selection... All too often, Traore would take a leaning, fading shot in the midrange, sometimes off of just one foot, without getting his base squared and set. Those not only led to ugly misses but were also the types of looks that any defense would live with. On his threes, Traore fell too much in love with his step-back and rushed his release while off balance.

Traore again struggled as a defender. It’s unfair to fault a teenager for his defensive lapses in a solid professional league, but the NBA doesn’t draft on fairness...He was too keen to open his hips on drives, which left him in the turnstile too often. He had real issues fighting over on-ball screens, which put his defense into rotation. Traore also played too much reactionary defense without trying to dictate his position, which left him at the mercy of stepbacks and stuttered drives to the hoop...off-ball defense was better, but that only means it was inconsistent over consistently mediocre. Every great closeout and contest that Traore had came from his insane reflexes, not from his reading of the play and proper positioning. He was caught up ball-watching a handful of times and had to recover, which led to reckless-yet-useful contests...Given his great reflexes and speed, I hope Traore can turn his defensive tendencies around...I feel the need for an important caveat: Nolan Traore is still quite young. He’s still eighteen years old while playing against former lottery picks and professionals in the peak of their athleticism. Traore is just a few months older than Jeremiah Fears and a full year younger than Jase Richardson Jr., meaning his stagnation needs more context.

Given his young age, it’s still impressive how productive Traore has been in LNB Pro A. Despite his warts, he’s been a starting point guard who has helped his team climb up to a tie for seventh in the league. That, plus the standout aspects of his game, made me much more bullish on Traore’s stock during my reevaluation...Despite his youth, Traore is clearly one of the fastest north-south players in the league, which shows in all his basket attacks. There’s little that defenses can do to stop him in the halfcourt once he gets a head of steam and nothing that they can do in transition when he puts his mind to getting to the rim...At the rim, Traore can throw in some wildly acrobatic finishes in the mix with his wide-open lay-ins from his speed...Per Synergy, Traore has shot 57.2% on lay-ups this season, with more impressive numbers in transition and the pick and roll...Watching him blast past other players when he grabs a rebound and goes coast-to-coast is breathtaking and also looks quite repeatable at the NBA level. Traore also has the wherewithal to adjust his tempo during the break to set up his teammates for easy dishes inside or wide-open three-pointers out on the perimeter...notable that Traore is so young and already so competent at reading the floor at full speed. He’s a step faster than everyone, but can also place passes perfectly to shooters and drivers in transition.

Transition isn’t even where Traore’s at his best; that’s the screen-and-roll game. Since his time with the youth FIBA French national teams and INSEP, Traore has been refining his pick-and-roll prowess...His burst makes it easy to get into the lane, but he rarely makes the wrong decision between rising for a lay-up or dishing to a teammate. If the drive is cut off, Traore can extend the play by opening his roller for an easy bucket or spraying the ball to an open shooter. While he has just a “Good” rating on Synergy in this role, I think Traore is far ahead of schedule in this department, given his youth and tape...NBA teams still use many pick-and-roll concepts in their offenses. Having a player like Traore to plug in would be a boon, given he’s already so good at that particular type of offense. Since he can turbo-charge a team in transition that wants to push the pace, there’s little standing in the way of Traore having a significant role on an NBA team willing to work through his mistakes.

Before the season started, Nolan Traore was viewed as a potential top prospect in the 2025 NBA draft class...Despite his fall down the draft boards, it’s worth considering where Traore could improve to reach those heights that made me and many others think of him as a potential blue chip prospect...Traore has some major kinks to work out in his shooting. His dreams of being an NBA star fall squarely on how quickly and steadily he can improve as a jump shooter. Luckily, despite his pull-up problems, there is an area of shooting that does appear to be a solid starting spot for Traore: his spot-up shooting...On defense, the crux of Traore’s improvements will come from becoming a competent on-ball defender and sharpening what he’s good at off the ball. Staying in front of guards is a tough ask for anyone, but Traore is plus-sized as a point guard and has shifty quickness horizontally on the basketball court. He’s also already shown his special reflexes on both ends, mostly how he generates his steals...Any NBA team that drafts Traore will know that the defense is a major work-in-progress at the start

If Traore is to reach his ceiling, he will have to become an elite creator for others.That means bending the defense to his will more often and not giving the ball away on as many possessions...Traore is great at playing within the flow of an offense, whether in transition or the halfcourt, but can get stuck trying to force a pass into a window that’s already closed...He can go from being a great playmaker to an exceptional one if he improves his decision-making after his first read is covered. I’ve already seen some hints that that’s happening with the skip passes that Traore made this season, but continuing on the patient playmaking path will pay off for him and his NBA future...If Nolan Traore were to shore up one of his weaknesses, whether defense or shooting, I don’t think it’s unreasonable to say that his star ceiling is back on the table...Traore must land in the right context immediately. It’ll do him or his team no good to have him languish in a bench role or play off another lead ball-handler. No, to see the most from Nolan Traore’s future, a team must put the ball in his hands and let him play through the volatility. It’ll lead to some ugly initial offense, but the beauty of his screen navigation and dime finding will turn the tide quicker than most.

What a familiar observation that many fans\media have also said about Scoot....

[elias808]

Kon would be a solid pick at 10. Doubt he’s available when we pick.

The scouting report on Kon is pretty clear. Arguably the best shooter in the draft. Excellent at not only C&S 3s but also repositioning and finding soft spots to get his shot off despite. Extremely quick release. Repeatable motion on his shot. Solid in the P&R finding the roll man or cross pass to the corner, but has issues due to his lack of athleticism when blitzed. He tends to pick up his dribble in these situations. Crafty at getting to the hoop and uses his size/bulk to get a shot up, but rarely if ever plays above the rim. Love to get to the basket, stop on two feet, and wait for the defender to over pursue. Overall smart player who makes up for his lack of athleticism with skill/craft but the question has to be asked how that will translate to the NBA.

[Chanse503]

What would it take for the Blazers to trade up to get the 5th player?

Assuming that the first four likely goes Cooper Flagg, Dylan Harper, Ace Bailey, VJ Edgecombe, I really want Trey Johnson.

Shaedon Sharps value has never been higher, and if they hold onto him, he'll be a valued member of this team. But, if they are going to stick with this core, Scoot, Tou, Deni, it almost forces the to resign Sharp AND Ant.

Move Ant (prior to an extension) and Sharp (while he's still on his rookie deal), bring in Trey to improve perimeter shooting, and buy some additional time with team friendly deals.

Absolutely this ^^^

Paying Sharpe the bag TERRIFIES me and Johnson is a bucket and just a smooth shooter and while I like Sharpe- he’s no more than a passive JR Smith.

It would be a poison pill to give Sharpe the contract.

Otherwise, just draft Kasparas Jakucionis

[HoopsFanAZ]

1. BPA and tiers. Positional size and need and X factor for tiebreakers.
2. Ignore duplication at positions when that guy is a dude. Michael Jordan. Chris Paul.
3. Never trade down in the draft. Martell Webster.
4. Never trade down to get two lower picks.
5. Get more 1st rounders through trades of current players.
6. Take shots at 2nd rounders. Can't make it if don't take it.
7. The draft is a future's market. Make big swings.
8. If a guy falls, better know why and why not to draft him. Qyntel Woods.
9. Don't trade up to get a guy and then he's not there. Respert. [IIRC]
10. Red flags are bad.
11. It has to be a Deni (or better) trade to move the pick.

Kon has a track record against good competition. The Blazers need shooting at SG/SF. 50-40-90. The gold standard. If he is a Jeff Hornacek guy, sign me up. If he's Joe Ingles, I like that, too.

I see Egor Demin > Josh Giddey ... which is why he's a no-brainer for the Blazers at 10.

Noa Essengue moves so well being skinny that with strength and good weight he can be the steal of the draft. He already has the beginnings of an early, diverse skillset.

It's a remarkable thing that most posters here list Clingan, Deni, Toumani, Sharpe and Scoot. Sometimes only the first 3. Others with 4. But few people really list or talk about keeping Ayton, Grant, or Simons, and those players have been the starters. I know Cronin cannot really talk that way, but it seems "obvious" to fans.

[Butter]

At this point, I think it's all in Schmitz' and the rest of the scouts' hands. It's very unlikely the Blazers are going to get a franchise changing player where they are picking--the FO and Ownership appear to have prioritized winning and securing new contracts over a chance at a player like that.

My hope is that Cronin finds a team that falls in love with a 10th pick and is able to package it with a vet to move down a couple spots to draft a player that they really have targeted. I like Clifford a lot, and I like Fleming a lot.

Knowing Cronin however, he'll probably draft a non-shooting SF/PF type and then that player will have to eek out minutes playing behind Deni, Camara, Grant, and Murray next year, because Crolshey probably thinks this roster is a 6th seed in the POs.

Man, I see what you're saying, but it feels vanilla to me. Let's say for a second that the Blazers do NOT extend Ayton, Simons, or Thybulle. Assuming the DO extend Sharp and Tou, the Blazers have clear future starters at every position:.

PG: Scoot
SG: Sharp
SF: Camara
PF: Deni
C: Clingan

Your option seems to help build depth, which they absolutely could use.

OR

They could attempt to upgrade positions. If they use the draft to try to upgrade a position, it seems like trading up would be prudent. If they do trade up, my concept is to package the #10 with Sharp to get into the top five to draft Trey Johnson AND avoid paying Shaedon the extension.

Result

PG: Scoot (rookie contract)
SG: Johnson (rookie contract)
SF: Camara (extension)
PF: Deni (team friendly contract)
C: Clingan (rookie contract)

If the Scouts identify Tre with a higher ceiling than Sharpe, I'd be okay with your path. Like many of us, I worry about investing huge money in Sharpe as being "the franchise guy"...I just don't see the next level ability in him to overcome his lack of intensity (like a Kawhi, for example). FWIW, I still believe the best contracts in the NBA are rookie scale attached to players that produce. If Tre comes in and averages 18/2/2, then that's TREMENDOUS value on a rookie contract.

Problem is, the type of move you describe is a rebuild move...one that in the short-term could make the team worse, while potentially better long-term. And that's completely ignoring the salary point you bring up. Based on Cronin's exit interview, I think he's not thinking 'one step back/two steps forward' anymore. If he's making a big swing, it'll be for an established player to move them into the POs. I have a hard time believing too that he'd give up on Sharpe...

The "vanilla" you speak of screams Cronin to me. He's mostly made vanilla decisions in his time in Portland...and I have a feeling he inherited the 'overvalue your players' gene from Olshey.

You're right, Cronin has been king vanilla. My assumption is that he is going to try to retain all of "his guys"

[Case2012]

I honestly think the biggest swing would be Clifford, just because of his age and that he doesn't measure out with freak athleticism or length but I think he's the second best current player overall next to Flagg. Or maybe not second best overall but the closest player to Flagg in playing style, being a winner, handling the ball, vision, motor etc. I would take him 10x out of 10 if we pick at 10. I don't think he gets past OKC at 15 and they don't need anymore guys like that, so I think we should take him 10 unless we can move back just a few spots for another minor asset?

I realllly want Clayton JR too, we need shooting so bad and he screams Pritchard 2.0. How to get him? Just by praying Cronin can pull off trading our vets for at least one more first round pick, despite how bad he is at acquiring them. Hopefully we trade Ant and he can take over back up PG duties for Scoot.

Scoot/ WCJ
Sharpe/ Clifford
Camara/ Thybulle
Deni/ Walker? Murray? =/
Ayton/ Clingan

In a perfect world we draft Lendeborg to back up Deni in addition to Clifford and WCJ, but yeah. Idk, I think minus an MVP level player we start to look like OKC a little bit if we added those 3 guys, or at least 2.

Clifford is mocking out in the 16-24 range. Lendeborg in the 24-30 range. Clayton in the 20-27 range. Sounds like you would be good with trading back for two of the three?

One more thing. Sharpe, Clifford and Thybulle are all going to play SG, IMO. Which of those three do you let go the following season?

Sharpe is a SG no doubt about it. One of the reasons I'm not high on him is his lack of positional flexibility. His motor runs low and kind of just coasts most of the time, which is a shame given his obvious talent. I would sell high on him for sure.

Clifford and Thybulle can defend at least 3 spots, and I view Clifford as a primary/secondary ball handler or more of a point forward. He's 6'6 but he looks like a tweener to me. I have no problem starting him over Sharpe just based on what i've seen from him in college. He's a stud and has a do it all type of play style that's very similar to Flagg.

I can't really think of who else to compare him to, maybe Hart? Jalen Williams? His passing really stands out to me as well as the shot creation and then he rebounds almost 10 a game per 36 which given his size screams high motor.. If he makes it to OKC, they'll take him at 15. Okc is who we should be modeling our team after and I think that's low key what they're doing, just not as good clearly.

[Case2012]

I wonder if Orlando would do Sharpe and Simons for Suggs, 16 and 20?

That way we keep 10 and draft Clifford there, then 2 of Fleming, WCJ or Lendeborg at 16 and 20. Sharpe should be worth Suggs straight up right? When you consider his injuries, shooting and contract.. maybe even Suggs and 16? Then Ant for the 20th pick. Solves Orlando's scoring issues for the next few seasons and gives them a third potential star. Sharpe/Paulo is pretty exciting on paper.

Scoot/WCJ
Suggs/Clifford
Camara/Thybulle
Deni/Fleming or Lendeborg (coin flip on both, maybe Lendeborg just because he's so unique)
Ayton/Clingan I'm not crazy about Ayton but we would need his rebounding and offense.

That team looks fun as hell. High motor guys, long, shooting, and a top 3 defense. Suggs, Thybulle, Camara, Deni, Clifford and Lendeborg/Fleming make us soooo good on the defensive end and honestly doesn't that remind you of OKC?

That's my dream outcome so we'll probably just take Demin.

[BlazersBroncos]

I wonder if Orlando would do Sharpe and Simons for Suggs, 16 and 20?

That way we keep 10 and draft Clifford there, then 2 of Fleming, WCJ or Lendeborg at 16 and 20. Sharpe should be worth Suggs straight up right? When you consider his injuries, shooting and contract.. maybe even Suggs and 16? Then Ant for the 20th pick. Solves Orlando's scoring issues for the next few seasons and gives them a third potential star. Sharpe/Paulo is pretty exciting on paper.

Scoot/WCJ
Suggs/Clifford
Camara/Thybulle
Deni/Fleming or Lendeborg (coin flip on both, maybe Lendeborg just because he's so unique)
Ayton/Clingan I'm not crazy about Ayton but we would need his rebounding and offense.

That team looks fun as hell. High motor guys, long, shooting, and a top 3 defense. Suggs, Thybulle, Camara, Deni, Clifford and Lendeborg/Fleming make us soooo good on the defensive end and honestly doesn't that remind you of OKC?

That's my dream outcome so we'll probably just take Demin.

ORL fanbase seems to value Suggs in a similar light to our evaluation of Deni, and I tend to think their FO does as well considering the contract they just gave him. I think Suggs is worth a good deal more than Sharpe since he has shown the ability to play both sides of the court. His 3PT took a dive this year but I dont think that is enough to devalue him a ton (And it was still better than Sharpe's lol).

I think ORL would see Suggs as closer to being worth Sharpe + 10 than Sharpe alone.

As for the defense reminding us of OKC - ya that is a hell of a lineup. The difference being OKC isnt just a defensive team, they also have a superstar that can get buckets and both their #2 and #3 guys are arguable better on offense than anyone we have on the team. We might be able to build a OKC like team on one side of the floor with a heavy defensive squad but until we find a way to snag top tier offensive talent we are nowhere near the same squad.

Both the current Blazers squad and the team you outlined actually remind me more of HOU than OKC - a deep team with quality defenders who just doesnt have the offensive talent to be more than a pretender, and unfortunately outside a Giannis like late lotto homerun we are seriously capped in terms of a path to true contention.

[zzaj]

I honestly think the biggest swing would be Clifford, just because of his age and that he doesn't measure out with freak athleticism or length but I think he's the second best current player overall next to Flagg. Or maybe not second best overall but the closest player to Flagg in playing style, being a winner, handling the ball, vision, motor etc. I would take him 10x out of 10 if we pick at 10. I don't think he gets past OKC at 15 and they don't need anymore guys like that, so I think we should take him 10 unless we can move back just a few spots for another minor asset?

I realllly want Clayton JR too, we need shooting so bad and he screams Pritchard 2.0. How to get him? Just by praying Cronin can pull off trading our vets for at least one more first round pick, despite how bad he is at acquiring them. Hopefully we trade Ant and he can take over back up PG duties for Scoot.

Scoot/ WCJ
Sharpe/ Clifford
Camara/ Thybulle
Deni/ Walker? Murray? =/
Ayton/ Clingan

In a perfect world we draft Lendeborg to back up Deni in addition to Clifford and WCJ, but yeah. Idk, I think minus an MVP level player we start to look like OKC a little bit if we added those 3 guys, or at least 2.

Clifford is mocking out in the 16-24 range. Lendeborg in the 24-30 range. Clayton in the 20-27 range. Sounds like you would be good with trading back for two of the three?

One more thing. Sharpe, Clifford and Thybulle are all going to play SG, IMO. Which of those three do you let go the following season?

Sharpe is a SG no doubt about it. One of the reasons I'm not high on him is his lack of positional flexibility. His motor runs low and kind of just coasts most of the time, which is a shame given his obvious talent. I would sell high on him for sure.

Clifford and Thybulle can defend at least 3 spots, and I view Clifford as a primary/secondary ball handler or more of a point forward. He's 6'6 but he looks like a tweener to me. I have no problem starting him over Sharpe just based on what i've seen from him in college. He's a stud and has a do it all type of play style that's very similar to Flagg.

I can't really think of who else to compare him to, maybe Hart? Jalen Williams? His passing really stands out to me as well as the shot creation and then he rebounds almost 10 a game per 36 which given his size screams high motor.. If he makes it to OKC, they'll take him at 15. Okc is who we should be modeling our team after and I think that's low key what they're doing, just not as good clearly.

Clifford has some Brandon Roy in his game...not going to blow you away with athletic ability, but functional and plays strong. He's a bit of a swiss-army-knife in the same way Roy was. Has a little floater and mid-range game...

I don't think Clifford's self-creation will scale to the NBA, but he'll be good attacking closeouts and making correct, mistake free passes on direct line drives.

[DaVoiceMaster]

I want players that actually play defense. That, and his 3-point shot are the reason I would consider moving Sharpe. If the player in return (via trade or draft) do not play defense, then I would keep Sharpe.

[dckingsfan]

I want players that actually play defense. That, and his 3-point shot are the reason I would consider moving Sharpe. If the player in return (via trade or draft) do not play defense, then I would keep Sharpe.

What is interesting to me is that we have those players in Thybulle, Deni, Camara & Clingan (although a work in progress). I think that is who you build off of (at least for next season). Picking up one more in the draft would be a huge bonus.