Trail Blazers potential depth chart, rotation after 2023 NBA Draft

Even though the 2023 NBA Draft is complete, the NBA offseason is not. The Portland Trail Blazers drafted G League Guard Scoot Henderson, Iowa forward Kris Murray, and New Zealand Breakers wing Rayan Rupert, but general manager Joe Cronin is most certainly not done adding to his team’s roster.

Free agency won’t begin in earnest until June 30, but Cronin said he’s “planted some seeds” in negotiations while he was scouring the league for trade partners before the draft.

As of June 24, though (making the safe assumption Portland signs all three of its draft picks), the Blazers have 13 players on their roster; that includes a $3 million team option for forward Kevin Knox and non-guaranteed or partially-guaranteed contracts for Trendon Watford, Jabari Walker, and Jeenathan Williams.

They’ll also have the option to retain Drew Eubanks, Ibou Badji, and John Butler to low-salary contracts and can bring back Jerami Grant, Cam Reddish, Matisse Thybulle, and Justise Winslow on new deals.

Depending on what Cronin does with these players during the summer, head coach Chauncey Billups could have some options as far as lineups go. Here are two different sets of depth charts – one with the players Portland currently has with its rookies added, and another that includes relatively important players who are more likely than not to return in free agency.

Trail Blazers potential depth chart, rotation featuring players on current roster

Depth Chart:

PG: Damian Lillard, Scoot Henderson, Anfernee Simons, Keon Johnson

SG: Anfernee Simons, Shaedon Sharpe, Scoot Henderson

SF: Shaedon Sharpe, Kris Murray, Nassir Little, Rayan Rupert, Kevin Knox, Jabari Walker

PF: Nassir Little, Trendon Watford, Rayan Rupert, Kevin Knox

C: Jusuf Nurkic, Trendon Watford

Rotation:

PG: Damian Lillard, Scoot Henderson

SG: Anfernee Simons, Shaedon Sharpe, Scoot Henderson

SF: Shaedon Sharpe, Kris Murray

PF: Nassir Little, Trendon Watford, Kris Murray

C: Jusuf Nurkic

This leaves Billups with an eight-man rotation with little-to-no depth in the frontcourt, an issue the Blazers dealt with all of last season. Rupert is not ready to play significant minutes in the NBA, and with Lillard, Scoot, and Simons all on the roster, starting Sharpe on the wing would be the Blazers’ best chance to get him on the floor.

Murray should be able to hit the ground running as a legitimate rotation player on the wing and could slide down to the four in small-ball lineups.

Watford could challenge Little for a starting spot if Portland doesn’t re-sign Grant.

Trail Blazers potential depth chart, rotation featuring re-signed free agents

Depth Chart:

PG: Damian Lillard, Scoot Henderson, Anfernee Simons, Keon Johnson

SG: Anfernee Simons, Shaedon Sharpe, Matisse Thybulle, Scoot Henderson

SF: Shaedon Sharpe, Matisse Thybulle, Kris Murray, Nassir Little, Rayan Rupert, Jabari Walker

PF: Jerami Grant, Kris Murray, Nassir Little, Trendon Watford, Rayan Rupert

C: Jusuf Nurkic, Center X, Trendon Watford

Rotation:

PG: Damian Lillard, Scoot Henderson

SG: Anfernee Simons, Shaedon Sharpe, Matisse Thybulle, Scoot Henderson

SF: Shaedon Sharpe, Matisse Thybulle, Kris Murray

PF: Jerami Grant, Kris Murray, Nassir Little, Trendon Watford

C: Jusuf Nurkic, Center X, Trendon Watford

This rotation could go 11 deep for Billups, although that’s extremely rare in the NBA. More than likely, Watford and Little would get pushed down the pecking order in favor of Murray and the re-signings of Grant and Thybulle. It’s crucial Cronin re-sign Grant and find another center, whether on the free-agent market or through trade, to play minutes up front, as well.

In that case, an eight- or nine-man rotation featuring Lillard, Henderson, Simons, Sharpe, Thybulle, Murray, Grant, Nurkic, and Center X would play the majority of minutes. That’s an incredibly small lineup, but the additions of Thybulle, Grant, Murray, and (hopefully) a defensive-minded center could contribute to elevating the Blazers defense.

Reddish is also a possibility to return to Portland, and Winslow would provide veteran depth and versatility toward the end of the bench on a presumably low salary.

If Henderson, Simons, and/or Lillard are traded, this entire thing blows up. But for now – assuming Portland is able to bring back Thybulle and Grant and add a center, the Blazers’ roster, depth chart, and rotation are all improved from last season.

It’s a relatively unpopular opinion on Blazers Twitter, but this team, with Grant back, should be able to push for a five or six seed in the Western Conference.