NBA mock draft: Scouting 5 potential late-lottery prospects for Trail Blazers

Depending on how the rest of the season plays out, there’s a chance the Portland Trail Blazers end up with a top-14 pick in the 2023 NBA Draft.

But with Damian Lillard leading the way and some legitimate young talent playing alongside him, there’s also a chance that pick ends up falling in the late lottery rather than closer to the top five.

Heading into the final portion of the regular season, Portland has 2.5 percent chance of landing the No. 1 overall selection and a 3.4 percent chance of ending up in the top four, according to Tankathon.

Comparatively, the Blazers have a 65.9 percent chance at grabbing pick No. 10. Their average selection spot based on the NBA standings as of Feb. 21 is 9.4.

So, at least before the final 24 games are played, Portland’s pick is indeed expected to land later in the lottery.

Which prospects could potentially be available at that point? And which ones would fit with the rest of the Blazers roster? (Hint: three-and-D wings and athletic big men.)

In no particular order, here are brief scouting reports on five options.

(Measurables and statistics as of Feb. 21.)

Jett Howard, freshman, Michigan

Measurables: 6-foot-8, 215 pounds, 19.7 years old

Statistics: 14.4 points per game, 36.9 percent shooting from three on 7.2 attempts per game

Howard – the son of former NBA star and current Michigan head coach Juwan Howard – has proven to be a legitimate scorer and knock-down 3-point threat in maybe the most competitive conference in college basketball.

Coming from that basketball background, he has a good feel for the game and what’s going on around him. That makes him a decent playmaker who’s averaging nearly 3 assists per game.

He’s not a lockdown defender but he does have a high motor, so with the right coaching could turn into a decent player on that end of the floor at the NBA level. And at 215 pounds – thicker than most of the other wing prospects in this year’s class – has the size to compete with bigger players.

Howard’s most polished skills lie on the offensive end, which isn’t necessarily what the Blazers need. But adding a young, potential three-and-D wing who knows the game wouldn’t be a bad fit in any situation.

Rayan Rupert, New Zealand Breakers

Measurables: 6-foot-6, 192 pounds, 19 years old

Statistics: 6.6 points, 2.5 rebounds, 25.0 percent shooting from three (international stats via Proballers)

Defense, defense, defense. That’s Rupert’s calling card so far in his development, and that would fit snugly alongside two smaller guards in Damian Lillard and Anfernee Simons.

Rupert’s 7-3 wingspan would also work alongside those of Jerami Grant (7-3), Cam Reddish (7-1), Matisse Thybulle (6-11), and Shaedon Sharpe (6-11), assuming Grant, Reddish, and Thybulle are still in Portland next year.

Rupert is long, athletic, and fights defensively. He’s barely shown any semblance of an offensive game at this point, but he can handle the ball and makes some intelligent passes. He’s skinny and needs to add strength. Even so, the Blazers have enough scorers already, so he wouldn’t need to come in and immediately average 15-20 ppg.

Like Howard, he comes from a basketball family. His dad played professionally in France, and his sister plays in the WNBA.

Anthony Black, freshman, Arkansas

Measureables: 6-foot-7, 198 pounds, 19.4 years old

Statistics: 12.9 points, 5.1 rebounds, 4.4 assists, 2.0 steals, 32.0 percent shooting from three on 2.7 attempts per game

Portland could use a lead guard to spell Lillard and/or Simons. Black could be that player, but he would bring a much different profile to the Blazers backcourt.

One, he’s 6-7. Two, he’s a pass-first player. Three, those attributes would allow him to play next to Dame or Ant, or in three-guard lineups alongside both.

Like Rupert, Black isn’t ready to wow anyone offensively, at least not yet. The Ringer’s Kevin O’Connor compares him to Lonzo Ball with the way he keeps the offense humming and makes smart reads while being able to see over the top of defenses.

He also has a little Luka Doncic to his game in terms of using his body and IQ in pick-and-roll situations. He gets to the free-throw line and can finish through contact, although he’s a bit more athletic than Luka, just not as strong.

He’s also a good defender, using his size to his advantage.

The problem, again like Rupert, will be scoring. Black likely won’t be a bucket-getter at any point in his career, but the rest of his game can make up for that, especially in a situation like Portland’s.

Noah Clowney, freshman, Alabama

Measurables: 6-foot-10, 210 pounds, 18.9 years old

Statistics: 9.5 points, 8.0 rebounds, 1.0 blocks

Here’s an archetype Blazers fans can get on board with – a 6-10, long, versatile, switchable defender who also has a chance to be a really good rebounder. Sounds like all the ingredients head coach Chauncey Billups wants in his bigs.

Clowney’s hustle and energy only make his defense better. He can play in different systems, guard multiple positions, and can switch pick and rolls.

Offensively, he’s already a good screen-and-roll player and looks fluid and skilled enough to possibly turn into a pick-and-pop threat with range. Possibly is a key word there, though.

He’s also super skinny and not ready to bang with NBA big men down low, but he does work hard to box out and get his long arms on rebounds.

https://twitter.com/espn/status/1626014058544783361

Kris Murray, Iowa, junior

Measureables: 6-foot-8, 215 pounds, 22.8 years old

Statistics: 20.7 points, 8.2 rebounds, 1.2 blocks, 34.7 percent shooting from three on 6.3 attempts per game

This might be a little high for Murray – brother of Sacramento Kings rookie Keegan – but he’s the type of player Portland needs and, as he’ll be 23 years old at the start of next season and has three years of Big Ten basketball under his belt, fits more into the win-now category the Blazers could be looking for.

Kris will have played more than 80 games of high-level college basketball by the time he enters the draft, and he’s gotten better each season with the exception of his 3-point percentage, which has dipped since he’s now attempting twice as many as he has at any other point in his career.

Murray is physical enough and smart enough to hold up in the Big Ten – in terms of physicality, that conference might be closer to the NBA’s level of physicality than any other.

Keegan averaged 23.5 points and 8.7 rebounds and shot 39.5 percent from deep (on almost two fewer attempts than Kris) last season at Iowa. Those stats aren’t dramatically different from Kris’s this year, and Keegan is showing what he learned with the Hawkeyes clearly translates to the NBA.

Again, this might be a little high depending on where Portland’s pick lands, but Kris Murray is a low-maintenance, high-IQ, spot-up shooting wing with size. He’s ready to be a plug-and-play member of the Blazers rotation right away next season.