5. Mark Price - 1986
Trail Blazers pick: Arvydas Sabonis, No. 24
Other pick: Mark Price, No. 25 (Dallas Mavericks)
Although Arvydas Sabonis is in the Hall of Fame and spent his entire NBA career with the Blazers, he still barely missed the top ten Blazers of all time list. Sabonis made it to the NBA when he was already 31 years old and only played seven seasons. He was an excellent player who would have easily made the list had he played in Portland longer. Despite his limited time in the NBA, Sabonis was a solid pick for the Blazers.
At 7-foot-3, he played like a bigger version of his son, Sacramento Kings' Domantas Sabonis. Both are physical centers with high basketball IQs and positional playmaking ability. His game is also reminiscent of a different Rip City center—the late Bill Walton, another big man who was a great rebounder with exceptional court vision (and whose career was limited by injuries). Even though the Blazers missed out on a star in the draft, this particular one worked out fine for them.
Still, Mark Price fits the criteria of a star selected within a single pick. Price was a four-time NBA All-Star with four All-NBA selections. One of the best shooters in league history, Price averaged 15.2 points, 6.7 assists, and 2.6 rebounds per game for his career.
Price was a 50-40-90 member for only one season but nearly averaged it for his entire career with 47/40/90 shooting splits, showcasing his efficiency and elite shooting. Price's style of play would have benefited even more from the spacing, pace, and premium on shooting in today's NBA. Regardless, he had an exceptional career.