Portland Trail Blazers NBA Draft Rumors: Jerami Grant Trade Interest + Zach Edey at No. 7!?

Portland Trail Blazers NBA Draft Rumors: Jerami Grant Trade Interest + Zach Edey at No. 7!?

in today’s show it is rumber season in the NBA it’s draft week and there’s a whole bunch of nonsense out there let’s sort through it welcome to lockdown Blazers let’s get into [Music] it you are locked on Trailblazers your daily Portland Trailblazers podcast part of the locked on podcast Network your team everyday what up world it’s your pass first point guard and Trailblazers reporter Mike Richmond you are listening to another episode of Locked on Blazers part of the locked on podcast network available wherever you get podcasts and also on YouTube thanks for making this show your first listen coming at you each and every weekday Monday through Friday so make it a part of your daily routine make your first listen tell your friends to do the same it’s locked on Blazers your team every day in today’s show it’s a rumor season we made it to draft week you’re listening to Tuesday June 25th show and we are days away in fact a day away from the NBA draft on Wednesday evening and then again on Thursday uh two days of first and second round two days of the draft this year uh but this week like when you get to draft week is the most it’s always lying season this time of year and this is like the most aggressive and most stupid version of lying season because this is when everybody gets this is when all of the rumors get turned up to 10 and then the like interpretation of these rumors gets turned down to-5 people people’s media literacy really starts to struggle and you also just like you it’s you hear the smoke screens getting the thickest you see them getting the thickest so uh I want to sort through some rumors today some of them are just like it’s kind of easy to pinpoint um what’s going on others not so much and I’ll try to help you with a little bit of media literacy then on talk latest mock drafts there’s some week of mock drafts including one from ESPN that I think there’s at least just a name worth noting um and then as promised in today’s show my picks y’all been wondering who I would who I would pick I’ll share my who who are my huckleberries in the lottery um and uh including um more than one name names at each pick and then and a couple options for how I would go about it at each pick that’s what we’ll do uh in that’s what we will do in today’s show let’s start with the let’s start with the nonsense the rumors the smoke screens and and quite frankly what you’re here for cuz if you’re on YouTube you saw Blazers Draft rumors in the in the title and you said give me give me give me um and if you are listening on you on the audio feed maybe you were you were skipping around I’ll listen to this one this oh rumors give me give me give me so I’ll give it to you Ian Begley of snny reports several teams including the Dallas Mavericks have checked in on Jeremy Grant situation in Portland checked in on is a wonderful euphemism you know what checked in on means hey what’s up Joe is Jeremy Grant available he could be okay thanks click like um it doesn’t take a Super Genius to realize that Jeremy Grant could have potentially be traded by the Blazers and and NBA NBA front offices have the same much much more but like they have about the same level they can follow the logic the way we can in fact at the trade deadline uh on this very podcast I got together with NI Nick angad of locked on Mavs even before the trade deadline like in in in in uh earlier February maybe late January rather got together with Nick angin lock on maps and we did an episode talking about Jeremy Grant getting tra to traded to the Dallas Mavericks because it just makes so much sense right um the Blazers are young they’re Jeremy Grant is you know the the second oldest player on the roster he’s probably although he’s under contract he’s probably not going to be around when they’re really good again or he would have to stick around for deeper into the contract to be around when they’re when they’re actually competitive again um he would help a good team because of of what he does he’s shot north of 40% from three from each of the last two years um and would have been much looked much more durable if he hadn’t been shut down with fake injuries at the end of the last couple Seasons um doesn’t really play in April but I think he was on a good team he would play in April um like and then you watch the Mavs play and like they could just use one more dude who could kind of dribble and get his own shot that’s like a thing that they’re missing Jeremy Grant is like a competent enough Defender particularly on a good defensive team like Dallas I think he would look fine um he can shoot it as an off ball guy and he has some individual offensive creation stuff like he would really obviously help the Mavs a deal R for the mavick would probably center around um Tim Hardway Jr’s money Josh green and then like some other cash to make it work um it’s it’s not a clean fit it’s not a clean trade for the Blazers um but I think it’s something something in that range uh speaking of that range Jake fiser of Yahoo sports reports that Jeremy Grant a client of clutch Sports CEO Rich Paul is quot is believed to be another potential addition to the Lakers wish list according to sources um that particular quote has been misattributed what have seen on the sort of I think I saw this I think it was just like a red headline but it’s like that the Lakers want to trade 17 for it could have been a tweet that became a red headline double double aggregation um that the Blazers want to trade 17 for Jeremy Grant it’s not really what Jake what Jake fiser is reporting what Jake fiser is reporting is that the Lakers are interested in trading this number 17 pick in the NBA draft and they have a couple people that a couple teams they’ve reached out to and a couple targets that they would try to use 17 to acquire and they’ve also checked in on Jeremy Grant not specifically that they were trying to trade 17 for Jeremy Grant it seems very unlikely that the Blazers would want a fifth pick in the 2024 NBA draft just use your brain they do not need a fifth pick they do not need a third four first round pick in this particular draft they need future draft Capital to make it work it’s pretty easy for the Lakers ruy haimura and Gabe Vincent’s money makes the makes it work is Ru haimura Gabe Vincent and a draft pick enough for Jeremy Grant is close a second draft pick is probably too much much for Jeremy Grant so you’re right in the middle right like two firsts for Jeremy Grant is too much but one first in that package isn’t enough so it doesn’t work I there there is a world in which Jeremy Grant gets traded to the Lakers this summer because they they TR they they do trade the Blazers 17 and they do trade him hajim mura and vincet but the Blazers are already have another trade involved in which 17 and 14 are being packaged together to move up right and then that’s that kind of construction but I think what Fitcher is actually reporting and this is sort of the media literacy here is like read The Source material and then think about how it works and then um you can look up you know the public the the information on what draft picks are available to trade and and each team’s salary cap situation is available online all available to you um I I don’t know I I am much like you dear listener I have access to the internet one of the most important lessons I learned as a young reporter trying to make it in the game I asked someone um they worked at ESPN I said now now you work at ESPN you got some kind of fancy database and they said dude I use Google so do I I use Google I start that’s where I start too that’s where I was able to figure out the the Lakers don’t even really have draft picks to trade because they owe um they owe a swap next year in New Orleans that New Orleans can exercise and then they owe a protected pick in 2027 to the to the Jazz so it’s like they don’t because of those light protections on those future picks or those protections of the future picks they don’t really have they can’t really just like trade picks out they could I think it it would start in 2029 where they could trade a pick out but I think there’s a world in which that happens I don’t think it’s likely I think what this means from Begley of SNY and from fer of Sports is like teams are calling because Jeremy Grant is obviously someone who the Blazers should consider trading and they should consider the market and the Blazers are answering the phones because of exactly that does it mean Jeremy Grant’s can get traded no he might but like this this is not this is just very obvious connection connecting the dots to say teams are calling about a veteran who would help good teams win because he does he’s a pretty good basketball player and they’re trying to figure out what the market is to acquire that veteran so they can make their plans for the summer and then the Mavs and the Lakers are teams that have checked in with the Blazers and by checked in I mean hey can we get them yeah if you if you get the right price okay and the right price isn’t like hey let’s talk specific thing it’s like what do the Blazers want what they they’ll say what they want we want future draft capital and when not a lot of onerous future money okay we’ll see what we can put together we’ll call you back that’s a check-in see you the other piece of um juicy rumor out there is this following paragraph from the ringers Kevin o’ Conor and I’m going to read it to you quickly the Blazers also worked out produ Center Zack Edy earlier in the month and people around the NBA believe that they are also extremely high on him not just for the 14th pick but for their first choice at number seven whoa o Conor continues the bottom line is that the Blazers seem to be looking to Come Away With A Center to pair with scoot Henderson and their other young pieces and if Portland ends up with Donovan kingan Zack Ed or another Center on Wednesday night then perhaps there will be a domino effect this summer with DeAndre Aon and Robert Williams II trades to follow I okay there’s so much to unpack with this and I’m going to try to do it quickly one I don’t believe that I do not believe that the blades are going to draft zackie at 7 they could anything’s possible that’s the thing about it anything is possible um I remember Anthony Bennett and Zack Edy is about a kajillion times better than Anthony Bennett I’m not a big Ed guy um I think if you’re listener to this podcast you know I’m not a big Ed guy I think he’s going to be an effective player in the certain situations at a minimum and I also think he’s going to be effective player in certain situations at a maximum I think he has a relatively um small relatively narrow range um of of what he’s going to do and I’m not sure that that’s worth the seventh pick in the draft I think that’s it would be very surprising if the Blazers did that I would be it doesn’t fit their MO it doesn’t fit it just doesn’t it doesn’t make sense the reason that you would say this the reason that we be out here this is like media literacy and I don’t like unpacking this but I’m going to do it for for for you dear listener say Zak Eed has a little bit of interest at picks between picks eight and 13 you say the blaz like don’t wait around because he’s gone at 14 because the Blazers like him but they might even pick him up at seven so if they don’t pick him up at seven you better go you better go you better go and it it is it is it is sort of the Oklahoma City bait right it is it is it is it is this rumor seems to be it’s not it’s not definitely that’s how it works but the reason why it would be like the logic why it would be is because to drum up interest higher in the lottery for Zack Ed I don’t buy it for the Blazers it could happen though it’s not it’s not it’s not un it’s not unpossible it’s it’s definitely Kim Possible for sure for my real for my real Millennials out there um the last sentence though from this from the ringer and there’s a whole couple paragraphs I didn’t read through this about you about Blazer’s interest in Donovan King and we’ve talked about a bunch of show they’re very clearly interested in Donovan kingan whether they’ll end up with him or not they are very interested they’ve been linked to trading up for him uh ESPN Mach has has had clinging going to seven and a lot of sort of language in the little blurb around the mack about how the Blazers would be thrilled and ecstatic and you know and all these things and have strong interest in clinging clearly clearly the blazes have been linked to clinging and it hasn’t been reported by just ESPN a couple other folks have a couple of their Outlets have reported the obvious interest in clinging that’s there that’s real um or at least it’s it’s real that there’s interest maybe not real that they get him but there’s real there’s interest but the last sentence then perhaps there will be a domino effect this summer with Aon and Williams trades to follow I don’t buy that either y’all I don’t I don’t buy that I do not buy that when you Draft when you drafted Donovan clinging or a Zach that you immediately have to trade DeAndre Aon I think what it means is DeAndre has this season and next season left on his contract and maybe the Blazers aren’t incredibly sold on paying him and him being a long-term piece but it doesn’t mean he’s going to get traded this summer it means that they might not see him as a larger part of the future and if they do draft a center at 7even I think that clearly sign signifies that but it doesn’t mean that deand Ron’s a goner it means that deand Ron is probably not part of the big picture solution or it’s that the Blazers couldn’t pass on talent and they’ll figure it out the rest later but I think it’s the other one it’s that they don’t see DeAndre as being on the team beyond the next two seasons and they will explore how to deal with that in the future and that future is not July I really doubt it um and then with the Williams thing you know I know there’s like Rob Williams has hasn’t played you know got surgery in in in many months ago and is is is hoping to be back but like I don’t think the Blazers can make any plans with the idea that Rob Williams is going to play 55 games or something like that he’s played 41 games the last two seasons um he’s dealt with a lot of left knee stuff and now he has a right he’s getting surgery on his right knee like I just don’t think they’re making plans with like oh well they’ll get in the way of Rob Williams get in the way of freaking do oper like um yeah so I I think the edot 7 thing is like seems like just false I not think the reporting is false I I I mean to be clear someone certainly the Intel the Kevin oconor got is like yeah some folks even think the Blazers might draft him at seven that’s different that that I believe that he heard that I believe he reported the truth that he heard I just don’t buy it I don’t I don’t I don’t buy that they draft him at seven um let’s talk mock drafts and some other rumor stuff that’s your media literacy 15 minutes open in the show um hope those hope those rumors satiated you I’m sure there will be more it’s draft week lying season we did it okay second segment let’s talk mock drafts and more NBA draft things join me in that second segment won’t you first though I want to tell you about America’s number one sports book fanuel look the NBA’s done the NHL’s done wrapped up tonight I watched the I watch game seven of the Stanley Cup finals that’s about as much hockey as I watched all year it was pretty exciting what a fun sport but now I can’t bet on it because it’s done but guess what fanduel’s not slowing down fanduels here all summer long so if you want to get on MLB action all things baseball every stinking day of the week except there a little light on Mondays and Thursdays for my real Baseball fans or WNBA action deep into the summer or the NBA draft this week you’re going to find all types of of props and and whatnot that you that you’re looking for on the FanDuel app well guess what all summer long FanDuel customers is hooking all of you all customers not just new customers everybody who’s on FanDuel with a boost or a bonus daily that’s right there’s something for everyone every day all summer long so head to fanduel.com lockon and start making the most of your summer that’s FanDuel an official sports betting partner of Major League [Music] Baseball all right listen we sorted through the rumors now we got to talk mock drafts which are basically um which are basically rumors but in a bulleted list with art um okay so long Tob lists know that um I think ESPN has pretty strong prediction Powers when it comes to the Blazers it’s for obvious reasons um Mike Schmitz and Jonathan gavone gavoni at ESPN Mike Schmitz now with the Blazers work together for freaking a decade um they I think the Blazers just feed ESPN Intel but I think you can like get on the phone with someone you trust exchange some Intel here for some Intel there and maybe get a clear picture of what it might look like while the Blazers also benefit on the back end okay for those of you worried that um that ESPN is just like a a Blog source for the Blazers everyone benefits it’s like a freaking exchange of information um but on ESPN Jeremy W and Jonathan gone have the Blazers taking Donovan klling and at seven and jacobe Walter at 14 this has not changed since last week’s draft for ESPN they haven’t changed it this is this is who they they got him pegged for um clearly the Blazers are interested in clinging I think we’ve we’ve talked about that now including in in the first segment of the show um I’ll talk about clinging more and when I get to my picks in um in the third segment I’m comfortable with him but I don’t love it jacobe Walter is an interesting one and he’s the name I think to highlight here pretty much no other service has Walter at um Walter to the blazes at 14 and he’s been a ESPN guy who they’ve had there at various stages including each of the last two drafts leading up to it I think that’s a name to know I think that’s a name to Circle and say hm hm that could be something there could be a like there could be a little a little bit of fire with that smoke a little bit um I love Walter but I don’t know a ton about him like I can’t say that I watched him play I don’t think I saw I may have seen a portion of a Baylor game um at the end of the season when I was trying to watch the big 12 uh during during the I think I watched part of a game but not like not full games I watched some highlights and scouting reports on YouTube um like but you know he’s he measured it at 6’4 and a quarter he’s got long arms like 610 so not every 64 is created the same but he’s not he doesn’t have plus length in terms of height he do have plus height on the wings and I don’t see a a strong future where you can start a 6-2 point guard in in Scoot and not have plus length at the three like I think you need someone who’s 68 and above because I think you just want to be big right if you’re going to play somebody who’s small and Scoot is it’s like he’s long and strong right he’s got long arms he’s strong but he’s not he’s always going to be six2 um and Jaden sharp is like quintessential shooting guard size and I would like he could play a little bit of three but I think it’s been clear last season that he’s he’s more suited as a two in terms of his like physicality on that that at that spot and his length and maybe he’ll grow into being something different right but I wouldn’t love to pick another Wing who’s like mostly a two but Walter is like a dude who plays hard on defense and can shoot um the the knock on him is maybe that he can’t create for himself because he doesn’t have a strong enough handle yet you can improve your handle um but like a dude who can a dude who can shoot it and gets after it on defense he’s not an elite athlete but like long-armed interested Defender who has some offensive skills as a as you know as a as a potentially a finisher and as a shooter I think there’s obvious interest why that would be there he’s just for me I don’t I’m not excited about Walter I’m not excited I’m not excited about him um at Yahoo sports Kristen Peak has the Blazers taking Cody Williams from Colorado and then at seven and then Tristan D Silva at from Colorado at 14 it would be a pretty funny draft if they took two teammates from the third best team in the Pack 12 um it almost worked for the Buffalo I’m I’m sure it’ll work for for the Blazers uh um I like I like d Silva a lot I think he’s an NBA player and I think he’s probably doesn’t have that high of an upside because he just doesn’t have the physical tools to like grow into more but like dude who plays dude who does everything pretty well is an intrig at his size is an intriguing get right he’s not this Elite athlete he’s not this like elite shot Creator but he can shoot and he can defend and he can rebound a little bit and he’s like and he and he has some um the physicality to probably play a little bit of to play mostly power forward in the NBA like I I I like this overa a lot Cody Williams I’m going to talk about him a bunch um in in the next segments but like if it pops it pops right if he hits and he hits on what he can do well he’s a he’s the wing you been he’s the wing you’ve been searching for but that if that’s a big one that’s a big that’s a that is a that is a big and real one final mock I’ll share with you s Vini um these are ESPN chrisen peak of yaha sports s Vini are people I UST imp leave Vini and Christen Peak and and and Wu and gavone do this year round they Scout year round Christen Peak and and and the guys at ESPN are in the gyms at ubl traveling all over the world to see International Prospect these are people who see the stuff right that do this for their jobs year round uh Vini has players taking Mattis bazis at um at 7 um I’m okay with it I love it but I’m okay with it um and then in at at 14 he he mocks a trade and the trade is kind of intriguing um the Blazers trade back from 14 to 21 with the Pelicans and the Blazers for their troubles get a second a 2026 first round pick I would be all over that if I’m then and at 21 they take kesan George if that’s if that reality happens on on draft night I love that I love it I don’t think there’s much difference between 14 and 21 Kean George is someone who’s been mocked to go as high as the end of the lottery used to say okay we were going to get him at 14 we can just wait and get our guy at at at 21 like a big Guard from Miami he’s like a he’s he’s probably a two but he’s 67 um so he could grow into certainly grow into a frame and end up being a three um but like a a a guy who can create his own shot off the bounce you get at 21 you there’s a lot less pressure to sort of nail that pick and a lot less pressure to play that pick and you can let him develop and let him get there and you get a future first out of it I would love that I would love I would love that mock that that seems like really good business to me okay a lot of you have been asking maybe not quite double digits but many have asked in in in via email who I would pick at at 7 and 14 who I’d pick in the lottery what would I do if I if if um if I had had was was on the clock for the Blazers I’m G tell you join me in the third segment I’ll share my picks on draft week as promised who I would pick at 7 and 14 join me in the third segment to close the show still a pass first point guard I’m still Mike Richmond you still listen to lockon Blazers okay I’m going share my who would I take at seven and 14 um many of you have asked and I’m brave enough to share it with you okay my favorite I I agree that the Blazers should probably take a wing I think that is the sort of common commonly held belief I think they can take any position it would be weird if they took a little guard like if they took another it would weird if they took a dude who could only play one and two but if they take someone who could play two and maybe a little bit of three I think it’s okay and I use Wing kind of interchangeably to mean the middle positions shooting guard small forward and power forward because I think there’s points there’s bigs and then there’s the middle positions and if you’re the middle position with size you’re a 3 four you’re middle position without size you’re a 2 three um rooll is probably more of an accurate way to describe it on offense role versus position but who you can guard like what types of roles you can guard on the other end do you need to guard stationary guys or can you guard Shifty guys that matters and Shifty versus stationary is probably the difference in a two and a three and physicality can you guard the more physical wings like that’s a four right like the positions are real we’re not totally position yet we’re just we’re leaning more in that way but I agree the blazes should draft a wing I I totally agree and if you’re at seven I think I think in this draft where there are a bunch of wings I wouldn’t be in love with drafting a center I wouldn’t be in love with drafting a single position player I wouldn’t be in love in drafting either of the the top centers in this draft klling and and Ed who aren’t like super mobile switchy types right they’re drop bigs I think there’s value in those in in in being just like a big guy who can cover the rim I watched the Dallas Mavericks play like Derrick Lively has some switch ability right but what made derck Lively really special was being a drop big who hung around the rim and like even when they would play him off the ball the Mavericks would get creative to always keep him as the low man what they would do is they work really hard to not have Derrick Lively on the on the perimeter switching but have Derrick Lively at The Rim because that’s where his value was and like and I I think there’s value there in having big players there but I digress I think the best the position of need is a wing and my favorite Wing in this draft is Stefan Castle the problem is Stefan Castle’s people probably think he’s a point guard Stefan Castle is not going to be there at seven sounds like he’s going to go higher than that every mock has him higher I mean there’s I haven’t seen a single mock drafton where he where he’s available to the Blazers at seven where he where he would be on the board for the Blazers at seven if he was I’d be banging the drum to draft him he’s my favorite Wing in the draft I don’t think it’s close here’s why he does all of the things you want him to to do as as um as a wing right he can handle a little bit he can he’s great defensive versatility he’s a good passer he plays hard he’s a he’s a dude who won a lot in college playing a position that was not the thing he was recruited to do so he’s been adaptable and he doesn’t sounds like he doesn’t want to be adaptable sounds like he wants to be a ball in his hand guy he just can’t shoot he’s a non-shooter shooting is the easiest skill to improve at right like Scot shooting is the skill that you can actually get like demonstrably better at that like guys who are who are like workers and good players can can get up to maybe they’re not going to be above average shooters ever in their career but they get to like right at below average in the league right and they learn to take good threes and so that everyone shoots 35% because they don’t take terrible off the dribble threes they become smart spacers smart Shooters and they take good shots and I think Stefon Castle can become that and he already ticks the other boxes as a smart playmaker as a really really good Defender who can defend multiple positions if he is a point point guard he’s got great size if he is a two he’s got totally totally reasonable size and if he’s a three he’s probably he doesn’t have plus size to play small forward and I don’t think he could play small forward like in the NBA as a rookie but I think he’s like you could get away with it right to play him as an off ball position an off ball Wing he’s not again I don’t he’s not perfect for the Blazers because he’s not Plus siiz at the at small for size not spot and he’s a non-shooter he’s not a perfect fit but he’s my favorite pick in the draft he’s my favorite Wing in the draft if he was on the clock at 7even I think the blaz should takes to V castle and I wouldn’t hesitate I would be very excited about it I like him I’ve done more research than this draft than any other draft probably in in than any other draft at least I don’t really count when I was like a teenager I I learned things differently in my 30s than I do in my teens um and if you’re listening you’re a teenager I promise it will happen to you um Steph’s not gonna be there Stefon C’s not gonna be there so what do you do honest to goodness I think my second favorite player that’s likely to be available on the board is Donovan kingan and I know I just got into that whole thing about how the positional versatility and he’s a non shooter um I I don’t even know what he’s like I think he can pass and I think that’s really helpful but like how can how does he score on offense depending on how they guard him can he become a really good dho guy and like kind of cavon Looney it where he just like oh yeah I don’t shoot but I do aircraft carrier set big screens and like my guy sagging in the paint so I set a big screen and you get a free jumper because of the way they’re defending me can he like turn into that maybe I worry about what he is on offense and what he can be like I I I I don’t I don’t see it but I’m I’m pretty comfortable in his defensive floor being an impact player I’m pretty comfortable in it like I I I think he’s going to be fine as a defender in the league I really do I think he’s just really freaking big and really freaking big a little he’s not like mobile but he’s mobile for how big he is um and you know if he’s if he’s the guy who played the second half of the Season at at at Yukon I think he’s my I think he’s my second favorite player who’s likely to be there at seven I don’t love it I wouldn’t be excited about this pick but I’m being honest with you what who what I would do I would probably take kingan if he’s on the board if the Blazers all things being equal you come up and there’s no Stefan castle and there’s not um sort of some obvious other names like Alex SAR didn’t follow whatever like I think Clingan would be my guy at seven I wouldn’t I wouldn’t I mean I wouldn’t like full Neil OA Neil ALS and tell you that he’s going to be you know the the Cornerstone of the franchise for 10 years like Neil did when he drafted Zack Collins but I would I would be comfortable with him being an NBA player for a long time after that I think I have three names Cody Williams machus bazis and then a drop off to Ron Holland those are for seven for seven Cody Williams I just worry that a dude who is wasn’t maybe super aggressive on offense and isn’t a high level rebounder but is like 68 it’s like are you do you play like a two like um but you know if he hits like I said if he hits he can dribble he can score off the dribble he shot on really low volume if he shoots at a high volume and continues to you know shot 40% on on really low volume say he shoots 36% but on much higher volume that’s good enough to be a good like a totally okay shooter in the league then you add in his off the dribble game you add in his potential defensive versatility I just worry that the frame isn’t there it’s going to take him a while to be physical enough to play his natural position which is probably like mostly three and a little bit of four um plus size of the three I think is probably his best spot and then it’s like can he shoot and if he can’t shoot what does he do um and he’s If he if he’s not a highle passer not a highle rebounder like are you just drafting like Jeremy Grant light Jeremy Grant at seven will be a pretty good pick but it doesn’t get you super excited I I I’ve kind of warmed and cooled and warmed and cooled on Cody Williams but he’s my next one Bellis it’s like he’s a long way away but he has tools right I think he’s probably a four but he’s got some defensive upside probably like he could maybe he’s a high level defender in the league and not much of an offensive player but he’s got some endtoend ball handling transition skills at his size which I think is really intriguing someone who can dribble who can grab and go at his size is is money in the in the modern NBA um I just think he has a lot of things he has a lot of boxes to check to get there so and then Holland like I I think Holland’s going to be be competitive and a pretty good player it’s like is he he might be role player though CU he just might not have enough offense but there’s a chance that the talent is there and that the g- league stink um just like um you know is it kind of is holding him back a little bit I’ll say this none of the g-league ignite guys have come in in their rookie years and been like way better they haven’t like said like you know the g-league wasn’t a great environment for me but I’m way better than that they just haven’t been that Kingo wasn’t Jaylen green wasn’t scoot obviously wasn’t um so I’m I’m a little I’m a little like maybe I’m I’m soured on a little bit but I don’t I don’t love Holland so Stefon Castle’s my dream pick Donovan Mitchell’s my realistic pick and then after that Cody Williams maches pelis Ron Holland 14 assuming you don’t pick uh kingan assuming you go with your dream pick I think my pick at my my three names at 14 that I like in order kle we Tristan D Silva Nicol toic kware is just like he’s just like another one if he hits right he block shots he shoots threes he’s a mobile Rim protecting outsid shooting big man that might be what you need in the modern NBA right like that’s that’s the space that you need I think a shooting big would be perfect to pair next to scoot um a shooting big who blocks shots and has a little bit of that has athleticism to do you know not just to to play a little bit of Defense in space or at least like be mobile enough to not get blown by so he can be at The Rim in the right spots um you know he he’s obviously like there’s questions about his motor and how hard he plays and that’s I believe that’s a skill some guys have it some guys don’t um but like at 14 you’re looking for upside and I think his skill set is an upside that really intrigues me so where would be my pick after that’s D Silva lower ceiling but I’m really confident in the he has he does enough stuff well that I’m confident him being an NBA player if you’re hoping that other guys pop like bazis and Holland to reach the status where they can be a play NBA player D Silva’s already much closer to that and I think he could be um a contributor much earlier in his career obviously he doesn’t have the upside because he doesn’t have the physical gifts to be what they are but he has he just does a lot of stuff well and I like him kle Weare Tristan D Silva and then three I just can’t stop being intrigued by Nicola toic I can’t a 66 guard who can get to the rim and can really pass maybe the best passer in the draft one of the best maybe just one of the best offensive players in the draft in terms of like ability to get to the rim in a pro League ability to make plays obviously the ACL injury is a big deal and like I don’t know his Medicals or anything like that and and who who who could know but like he’s so young and I like big point guards and I think that the upside is there for him like a big playmaker who and again I believe shooting I give me the other skills and let you work on shooting as opposed to he can shoot but he doesn’t do anything else like give me the other skills and topic has the other skills and he’s big 66 like he’s short arms I think 66 armspan like he’s he’s a little t- Rexy but like if you like Delano Banton can I interest you in an 18-year-old Delano Banton like you know a player that projects somewhat similarly not this like crazy Above the Rim athlete but a big guy who can get to the rim by like a big ball handler and get to the rim by using angles and can finish uh there and and as a creative passer which Banton is not um but like I I I cannot help but be intrigued by topic those are my three kle we Tristan J Silva and topic at 14 in order that I would prefer right now um but topic and D Sila are very close but topic is such a weird fit with the Blazers it’s like another primary ball handler who can’t shoot next to scoot Henderson is kind of a nightmare but I’m assuming that the Blazers are trying to get the best players on their roster I think topic could still have path to playing normal minutes because you could play them a little bit together or split up their minutes and so he’s he’s on he could get on the court and it wouldn’t it wouldn’t be that big of a deal um I don’t think you’re like I I don’t think there’s no path to him playing such that it would like kill his his developmental um his sort of Developmental curve and and he might have to miss a good chunk or all of the season and so it’s something you’re actually worried about next season’s roster which is farther enough away that I would take the upside play I’m into it those are my picks tell me if you like them or if you hate them in the comment section Below on YouTube or you can email me lockon Blazers poot gmail.com come back for tomorrow’s show more draft stuff more draft talk it’s the week of the draft um it will be the next show you listen to will be Wednesday’s show the morning of the NBA draft it’s here it’s upon us get excited I appreciate you listening tell your friends about the program five shows five shows a week on all platforms free wherever you get podcasts and also on YouTube I appreciate you listening I’ll talk to you soon [Music]

The week of the NBA draft is peak nonsense season. We sort through the rumors for a shred a sense, including reporting from multiple outlets about teams interested in Jerami Grant. Plus, the latest mock drafts and MY picks for the Blazers in the lottery.

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