The Portland Trail Blazers have two second-round picks in the 2024 NBA Draft at No. 34 and No. 40. This is a prime opportunity to find gems that were overlooked in the first round, especially now that they have an entire day to prepare between rounds.
Another thing to note is that Portland hired ESPN’s NBA Draft Analyst Mike Schmitz as an Assistant General Manager in 2022-23. It’s too early to tell how it all plays out, but Schmitz is a great prospect evaluator and should be an asset for the Blazers in finding sleepers in this year’s weak and unpredictable draft.
1. Cam Christie, Guard, Minnesota
The brother of Lakers’ guard Max Christie, Cam, provides a skill set similar to his elite shooting, which should transition well to the NBA. Cam connected on 39.1 percent of his three-point attempts as a freshman at Minnesota. The sharpshooter is also only 18 years old, making him one of the youngest prospects in the draft class.
Due to his age, Christie has untapped potential, especially relative to the older, more experienced second-round picks projected to go around his range. Christie’s age, shooting, and positional size (6-foot-6) should make him a first-round pick. However, teams selecting towards the end of the first round will likely prioritize prospects that can contribute immediately, given that most of them have championship aspirations next season.
Christie can provide shooting right away, but what makes him a sleeper that the Blazers should target is his potential to generate offense. Early on, Christie will need to rely on the playmaking of Scoot Henderson and others to get open looks. But as he continues to develop, Christie possesses the potential to create his own shot as well.