New NBA Mock Draft Has Blazers Land Star Duke Forward

The Portland Trail Blazers are focused on trying to make the playoffs. That has been their goal since they didn't make any moves to trade their assets at the trade deadline.

They have made up a little bit of ground since then. They are now up to 12 in the Western Conference standings and are four games back of the Kings from that tenth spot.

Getting that tenth spot would put them in the play-in and give them a chance to make the playoffs. They would much rather focus on that than the NBA Draft right now.

If they don't make the playoffs, they are hoping that they can win the lottery so they can draft Duke forward Cooper Flagg. He is the top prospect in this year's draft.

Flagg is a generational prospect, just like Victor Wembanyama was headed into the 2023 NBA Draft. The latest mock draft from Bleacher Report has the Blazers landing a different Duke forward.

They have the Trail Blazers selecting Kon Knueppel with the ninth pick in the draft. Knueppel has shown the ability to be a really good scorer while playing for the Blue Devils.

Knueppel is someone who can score well when plays are run for him. He's not a guy who can create his own shot consistently, but the Blazers have plenty of guards who can help with that.

Drafting Knueppel would likely signal that Portland is ready to move away from Jerami Grant or one of their shooting guards. Knueppel can play the small forward spot of the shooting guard spot.

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Portland is a team that has some talent. They just need to avoid injuries and get rid of some players who don't put forth enough effort.

This offseason is going to be critical for them. If they do end up making the playoffs by going on a late-season run, that could also affect who they decide to draft, too.

So far this season for Duke, Knueppel is averaging 13.5 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 2.4 assists per game.

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For more news and notes on the Portland Trail Blazers, visit Portland Trail Blazers on SI.