No. 1: Brandon Miller, Alabama
If the Blazers are able to re-sign Grant, they’ll have four of their starting spots lined up: Lillard at point guard, either Sharpe or Simons at shooting guard, Grant at power forward, and Nurkic at center. That leaves a gaping hole at small forward that the team unsuccessfully tried to fill at the deadline with a bevy of veteran players.
For the team to seriously upgrade and make its wing weakness a strength, it would be best suited to find a player who can stripe shots from deep, create offense for himself, play within the flow of the offense, and hold his own on defense:
Quick thread on Brandon Miller, a projected top-5 pick in this year's NBA Draft.
— The Box and One (@TheBoxAndOne_) May 14, 2023
His ISO scoring ability in the mid-range can pop at the next level, and his turnaround J is borderline unguardable
Our Miller scouting report is FREE for all to read here: https://t.co/DfG5BhhOSQ pic.twitter.com/hDJaznKQyx
That describes Brandon Miller perfectly. He’s one of the best shooters in the draft class, has a crafty handle that helps him create jumpers or rim attempts for him in the half court, can succeed off of the ball, and is a solid enough wing defender that he won’t be a sieve on that end.
For a Blazers team that wants to win now, there may not be a more pro-ready player to take than Miller. He would give the team’s offense a significant boost while also not taking away anything on defense, which makes him the perfect piece for the team to snag on their quest to making it back to the playoffs with Lillard.