In a recent NBA mock draft, ESPN draft expert Jeremy Woo has the Trail Blazers selecting Karim Lopez, a wing from the New Zealand Breakers of the NBL. Admittedly, I am not plugged into hoops down under, so I don't have an opinion on the specifics of Lopez' game. I do, however, find it interesting to think about the Blazers drafting a wing (and presumed longterm Jerami Grant replacement) in the first-round of this year's draft, instead of a potential longterm point guard answer who would develop next to and under Jrue Holiday and Damian Lillard.
In other words, the Blazers could give us an early indication just how confident they are in a Holiday, Lillard, and Henderson backcourt going forward with how they handle the draft.
On its face, drafting a stretch four to pair with Deni Avdija and Shaedon Sharpe makes plenty of sense, especially with the guard room ostensibly looking deep. But at this point in Jrue Holiday's career we should expect him to miss a considerable amount of games each year, Damian Lillard will be 36 years old and coming off an Achilles tear, and Scoot Henderson is still struggling to find his rhythm in year three. In other words, there is no point guard of the future on this team.
However, with the Blazers expected to take another marginal step toward contention next year, there may not be a reason to look for the team's future point guard in the draft. A high-upside wing would make perfect sense, and it would indicate the team has confidence in Dame as a major player next year.
Blazers have numerous directions they could go with lottery pick
It's also important to note that the Blazers may not have a first-round pick at all. Their first-rounder is owed to Chicago if it lands outside of the lottery.
Plus, we're still very early in the pre-draft process. Guys will move up and down draft boards, and the Blazers (assuming they have a pick) will be linked with about a dozen guys from now until June.
Damian Lillard was on the Blazers broadcast the other night while the team faced off with the Hornets. He talked about how his return to Portland isn't just a feel-good story — he likes the team's roster and believes they will be winning games next year and beyond. Clearly, Dame sees himself as a contributor as much as a "mentor" next year. If the Blazers agree, then it would make sense for the point guard of the future search to be delayed at least another year.