NBA Mock Drafts Are Heating Up For The Trail Blazers

By 750 THE GAME STAFF

We are now less than a month away from the NBA draft and we know who is going to be in the draft and who is going to be heading back to college. It’s officially time to buckle down and figure out some of the Trail Blazers targets.

Everything you read about this draft is that there is not the top end talent. But because the Trail Blazers have the seventh pick in the draft there will be players that the Blazers can target and draft. It’s up to the front office to determine who the right players are.

Here are some of the mock drafts that are out right now. As you will see. There is no consensus for what the Trail Blazers are thinking.

David Cobb, CBS Sports, full mock draft here

No. 7: Ron Holland SF, G League Ignite – “Portland has young guards Scoot Henderson, Anfernee Simons and Shaedon Sharpe under contract for years to come. High-dollar front court producers Jerami Grant and Deandre Ayton are also on the books at least through 2025-26. The nexus between franchise fit and best available may be Holland. Ranked as the No. 1 overall prospect in the high school class of 2023, he is loaded with tools and promise. They were evident in spurts during his season with G League Ignite.”

No. 14: Isaiah Collier PG, USC – “The Trail Blazers aren’t exactly hurting for promising young guards. But if Collier is around at No. 14, it may be tough to pass on a player with his upside. After missing roughly a month with a hand injury, Collier returned to average 17.6 points, 4.5 assists and 1.8 steals on 47.2% shooting over USC’s final 11 games. Included were plenty of glimpses of why he finished the 2023 recruiting cycle as the No. 1 overall player in the 247Sports Composite.”

NBAdraft.net, full mock draft here

No. 7: Stephon Castle G, UConn – “Castle is a physically gifted SG/PG who stands 6’6 210 with pretty good strength and overall athleticism, showing excellent agility and body control while being a solid leaper off 1 or 2 feet with deceptive quickness … Tricky and unorthodox; plays the game at his own unique pace and keeps defenders off balance with his ability to change tempos when operating with the ball … Shifty and creative with above average ball-handling skills; likes to lull defenders before driving downhill and is a master of misdirection as an ambidextrous slasher who can operate on either side of the floor”

No. 14: Kel’el Ware C, Indiana – “Supremely talented bigman with prototypical size, length and athleticism for the NBA center position … Shows a great deal of upside with the ability to impact the game at both ends of the floor … Excellent fluidity and coordination for a bigman … Averaged 42% from three as a sophomore”

Ben Couch, NBA.com, full mock draft here

No. 7: Matas Buzelis F, G League Ignite – “Big forward with a shooting touch that escaped him in a single season playing for Ignite. Its return could deliver a big win later than expected in this Draft.”

No. 14: Tidjane Salaun F, Cholet Basket (France) – “Raw 18-year-old projects as a rangy, switchable defender who can capitalize on strong off-ball instincts and a developing shot from range.”

Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo, ESPN, full mock draft here

No. 7: Donovan Clingan C, UConn – “It’s hard to see a scenario in which Clingan — the No. 3 player on ESPN’s Big Board — falls to No. 7, but the Trail Blazers would surely be ecstatic with this outcome. There’s chatter around the league that teams such as Portland, Memphis and Chicago might look to move up to draft Clingan earlier than this, but in this mock scenario, he falls right into the Trail Blazers’ lap. Clingan brings size, length, defensive prowess, nonstop intensity and passing ability along with a back-to-back national championship pedigree. He has plenty of room for growth alongside the Blazers’ core at just 20 years old”

No 14: Cody Williams F, Colorado – ”

Williams has drawn strong interest from teams in the top 10, including Charlotte, San Antonio and Utah. Another viable landing spot would be Portland, where his size and defensive upside make for an appealing fit alongside the Trail Blazers’ guards. His draft stock hit a bit of flux as he struggled toward the back end of Colorado’s season, but lottery teams with an eye toward long-term development view him as a viable player.

The direction Portland ultimately decides to go here might hinge on what it decides to do with the No. 7 pick. But Williams — who once was viewed as a possible top-five selection and is now ranked No. 14 in ESPN’s Top 100 — would be a good value pick should he fall here”

As you can see. There is no consensus at all for who the Trail Blazers will pick. In the four mock drafts there is not one player who is on multiple for the Blazers. It will be a mystery, but it will give the Trail Blazers a chance to target their guy and hopefully have that player become a big time player.

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