3 Young players Trail Blazers should develop, 1 to give up on

The Portland Trail Blazers currently only have one player 30 years or older on their roster (Jerami Grant). They are stockpiling young talent as they continue to rebuild after the Damian Lillard trade request last offseason. However, the Blazers' roster continues to get deeper as they navigate their rebuild and add promising young players. It's a great problem to have, but it will be crucial for general manager Joe Cronin and the Blazers to decide what young players are worth keeping around long-term.

Develop Rayan Rupert

Rayan Rupert was the Blazers' No. 43 overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft. He's still only 20 years old and has plenty of time to tap into his potential. At 6-foot-6, Rupert has solid positional size and a unique skillset. He's already showcased his defensive upside and two-way potential, but Rupert also has an intriguing offensive ceiling as a point-forward type of player if he can improve his playmaking.

The Blazers' flier on the French prospect is worth the gamble, but it could be years until Rupert is ready to contribute significantly and they are able to reap the rewards. In his rookie season, Rupert averaged 4.0 points, 2.4 rebounds, and 1.6 assists on 34/36/76 shooting splits in 16.2 minutes per game. The good news is that Portland is in no rush to win and can afford to be patient with Rupert's development.