Some choice quotes from players working out for the Portland Trail Blazers

Gary Trent Jr.

Another kid with a basketball dad, Gary Trent Jr.’s connection to Portland is strong. His father Gary played three seasons in Rip City.

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As The Oregonian/OregonLive’s Joe Freeman reports:

"As Gary Trent Jr. hovered above Portland Thursday on a plane that was descending toward Portland International Airport, he couldn’t help but be consumed by a strange sensation. It was roughly 23 years earlier, after all, that his father Gary Trent was making a similar landing at the beginning of a nine-year NBA career that started with a three-year run with the Portland Trail Blazers."

The 6-foot-6 guard out of Duke only played one season of college before declaring for the NBA draft in April. He’s an excellent three-point shooter, making 40 percentage of his shots from behind the arc. Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski calls him “the best three-point shooter in the ACC.”

So what does Trent have to say about arriving in Portland to work out for the Blazers?

“It’s kind of crazy to think about it,” Trent Jr. said. “(My dad) told me a lot of stories. The team didn’t have the best rep — the “Jail Blazers” — but it’s just a surreal feeling. I’m blessed to have the opportunity to come out here and showcase what I can do.”