The Portland Trail Blazers ended up with the 7th and 14th picks for the upcoming 2024 NBA Draft after the lottery results were announced yesterday, a move that brings a glimmer of hope after a season that could be generously described as underwhelming. The Blazers, hauling their 21-61 record behind them, were looking to reverse their fortunes in a draft where they initially had a 13.2% shot at the number one pick.
While the 7th pick might not seem like much of a prize for a team that carried the third-worst record in the league, on stage, representing the team, was Scoot Henderson, who seemed ready to embrace the Blazers' future. Given that the Blazers had a 50% chance to snag a Top 4 pick, the It could’ve been worse sentiment echoes around, especially when considering they could have slumped as low as eighth, according to KGW.
The Atlanta Hawks, meanwhile, nabbed the top pick for the first time in franchise history, while the San Antonio Spurs jumped to the fourth pick, hopping over Portland in a twist of lottery fate. The Blazers' plummet from potentially fourth to seventh was aside from obtaining the 14th pick via the Golden State Warriors – collateral from a trade involving Damian Lillard, a maneuver that sent the fan-favorite point guard packing to Milwaukee.
"We feel great," Trail Blazers general manager Joe Cronin didn't waver in his optimism, told NBA.com. "To have two picks in the lottery is a great opportunity for us to add potentially two guys that will make a big difference on our team, so we’re excited." It's a sturdy line, one hopes, that isn't just bolstering a facade against the stark reality that Portland, who was most likely to pick sixth and had just shy of a quarter chance at it, ended up a spot lower at seventh, per the NBA-provided odds.
As the draft approaches and the Blazers start full preparations for the event set for June 26 and 27, attention now shifts to prospect camps and workouts. With several of these camps, including the G League Elite Camp and the NBA Draft Combine, already wrapped up in Chicago, attention now turns to prospect workouts at the team's training facility in Tualatin. Portland also holds two second-round picks, numbers 34 and 40 overall, according to KATU. It's time to see if the Blazers' front office can parlay their picks into players who can start patching up the gaps left in Lillard's departure and reconstruct from there.
