3. The Portland Trail Blazers use the 7th-overall pick
Not landing in the top four of the draft meant that the Trail Blazers missed out on the chance to acquire one of Chet Holmgren, Jabari Smith Jr., and Paolo Banchero; three potential future All-Star forwards that project to be two-way contributors right away. Any of them could have started in the frontcourt alongside Jusuf Nurkic and been a huge buoy for the Blazers right away.
Sliding down to the seventh pick doesn’t mean that the Blazers can’t still walk away with the best player in the draft class, but it does significantly lower Portland’s chances and the floors of the players available.
Keegan Murray, AJ Griffin, Tari Eason, and a number of other prospects could all come into the Blazers’ roster, instantly excel, and win Rookie of the Year en route to helping Dame return Portland to their rightful place in the upper half of the Western Conference Standings. But they could also struggle out of the gates and fail to contribute in their first campaign, ultimately leading to Dame wasting another year of his prime.
If Portland means to use the pick straight up, hopefully, it’ll mean that they still were able to select a player they love and believe could help Dame in the immediate future and down the road. And even in that instance, they need to ensure that they have contingency plans in free agency and in the trade market in case the prospect they acquire happens to be a bust.