3 young players Blazers should develop, 2 to give up on

Blazers young player to continue developing: Jabari Walker

The Trail Blazers have a promising talent in Walker, a player whose development could significantly contribute to the team’s future success. Despite being in the early stages of his career, Walker has shown the potential that warrants continued investment from the Blazers.

Walker, a second-round pick in the 2022 NBA Draft, had a solid rookie season with the Blazers, averaging 3.9 points and 2.3 rebounds in 11.1 minutes per game. Although these numbers may seem modest, they do not fully capture Walker’s potential.

His performance in the 2023 NBA Summer League was particularly impressive: he averaged 12.4 points and 8.2 rebounds, shooting 56.8 percent from the field and 50 percent from beyond the arc.

Walker’s skill set is diverse and he has shown promise as a potential rotational player. In the event of a rebuild, he could be a valuable asset who might be in line to compete for the starting job at power forward on a roster that is sparse at that position.

At 20 years old, Walker’s development will take time, but he will likely play plenty of valuable bench minutes if Jerami Grant stays on the roster, or be thrust into a starting role should Grant be traded.

Playing behind an established talent such as Grant would be an excellent way for Walker to grow. He needs to get bigger and stronger and refine his skills to develop into a quality rotational player. However, with the suitable investment and patience, Walker could become a second-round steal for the Blazers.