Another day, another draft rumor in Portland, and another draft rumor involving the Blazers’ No. 3 pick in the 2023 NBA Draft.
The New Orleans Pelicans have already been bandied about as a team looking to get into the top three of the June 22nd draft with the intention of grabbing G League Ignite guard Scoot Henderson.
Now, it appears two more teams are aiming for picks two or three, as well.
The Washington Wizards and Toronto Raptors may have interest in Blazers’ No. 3 pick
According to Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer, two more teams have thrown their hats into the ring as potential trade partners for Rip City’s much-ballyhooed selection (h/t Bleacher Report).
Both the Toronto Raptors and Washington Wizards have “explored trades to move up into the top three” of the draft, according to O’Connor.
This comes on the heels of ESPN’s Jonathan Givony’s recent mock draft (subscription required) in which he said, in part:
"Many around the NBA are curious to see if the Raptors will move up on draft night, as there’s a sense that they could be significant trade players depending on how aggressively they want to get involved with the likes of Pascal Siakam and others."
Portland registered interest in Toronto’s OG Anunoby as far back as the 2022 NBA Draft. They reignited that interest at February’s trade deadline. Siakam, meanwhile, has been viewed as a potentially perfect fit next to Damian Lillard as a wing scorer who can defend and has championship experience.
Bradley Beal would be the Wizards’ best trade chip to throw at the Blazers, but he makes no sense as a Lillard sidekick for a multitude of reasons – although, don’t count out any three-team deals that involve Beal being rerouted somewhere other than Portland.
Let the rumors continue to swirl for at least one more week.