Portland Trail Blazers: A way-too-early look at perfect picks in the 2020 NBA Draft

The Portland Trail Blazers are locked in on clinching the West’s No. 8 seed. But when this season concludes, which 2020 NBA Draft prospects fit best on the roster?

Truthfully, it feels nonsensical to be talking about the 2020 NBA Draft at this point in time. Over the last few weeks, the only discussion that felt worth having about the Portland Trail Blazers centered around their opportunity to leapfrog the Memphis Grizzlies for the eighth and final spot in the Western Conference Playoffs.

But, it’s only responsible to cover each and every base. Draft preparations could come around sooner than we expect. And while it’s sacrilegious to be thinking too deeply about it in the middle of a postseason race, this eight-game run provides us with a chance to evaluate team needs and players to watch.

Here, we’ll consider six of the prospects that, as of this very moment, fit into the Trail Blazers’ scheme and lineup needs right away. The possibilities were boundless, especially since we can’t be completely sure on just how aggressive the Portland Trail Blazers can be in the free agency.

Before jumping into that, an appreciative shoutout has to be given to Cody Larson, a friend of mine, and a reliable hub for all things NCAA. From suggesting players to explaining some of the nuances of the college game, an article to this degree wouldn’t have been as effective without his assistance.

Here were a few players that didn’t quite make this cut, but could certainly still be a plausible selection for the Portland Trail Blazers during the 2020 NBA Draft on Oct. 16: Josh Green, Tyrese Haliburton, R.J. Hampton ― a player our very own Stevie Cozens hit on earlier this year ― and Aleksej Pokusevski.

With that, consider the six players to keep in mind for the upcoming 2020 NBA Draft.