Portland’s Options With The Third Pick

Tuesday night’s draft lottery was a night to remember for some franchises, and one to forget for others. San Antonio won the Victor Wembenyama sweepstakes, while Charlotte got quite the consolation prize with the second pick. After those two organizations, Portland is slated to pick third in this June’s event.

Portland is in an odd spot as a franchise. They are coming off a 33-49 season in which they missed the play-in tournament all together. However, they do still employ Damian Lillard. The superstar point guard has never won at the highest level, but his offensive potency is so vast that he can be the driving force of a contending team given the right pieces are surrounding him. This season was arguably Lillard’s best yet, averaging 32.3 points, 7.3 assists, and 4.8 rebounds while shooting 37.1% on 11.3 tries from beyond the arc.

However, the Trail Blazers simply do not have the right pieces around him at this moment. Anfernee Simons and Jerami Grant both just had the best seasons of their career, and Shaedon Sharpe had a promising rookie campaign, but they need far more. The third overall pick will help them get to that spot one way or another.

For one, Portland could just retain their pick and select the future face of their franchise. They’ll have to settle for whoever Charlotte passes up on, but having the second choice between Scoot Henderson and Brandon Miller is a pleasant problem to have.

Henderson brings tantalizing athleticism at the point guard position. The 6-foot-2 former G League Ignite player has explosiveness reminiscent of the greats of the position as well as imposing strength. Additionally, he brings shrewd passing and a smooth mid-range game.

Miller is an incredible shot-maker. The 6-foot-9 forward can handle the ball like a guard and effortlessly hit deep pull-up shots. He’s also well-rounded, excelling as a passer and defender under the radar.

Alternatively, if their guy gets taken second overall, Portland can always trade back and add multiple young assets to their roster.

Still, the most popular option seems to be for Portland to move off the pick altogether. It carries great value on the trade market and could potentially bring another star to the squad. It only seems right that the Trail Blazers do everything they can to go all-in on Lillard’s prime. He’s the best player to ever wear the red, white, and black, and may be for a long time.

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