5 2024 NBA Draft prospects the Blazers should watch during March Madness
The Blazers must watch these 2024 NBA Draft prospects closely during March Madness.
By Tyler Watts
The Portland Trail Blazers are in year one of a rebuild. Damian Lillard is in Milwaukee, and the Blazers must figure out who is a part of their core moving forward. Deandre Ayton is stepping up his game, and Portland has talent in the backcourt. It is all about developing their young players and finding the right fits to get back to the playoffs.
The 2024 NBA Draft is crucial for the Blazers. They will likely have two lottery selections and must nail both if they want to exit their rebuild in short order. Portland drafted Scoot Henderson in 2023 to be their point guard. If Anfernee Simons, Shaedon Sharpe, and Ayton are part of their core, the Trail Blazers need wings to round out their roster. They want young ones with room to grow, and the draft will be the place to find them.
The NCAA Tournament is here, and it will have a significant impact on the draft. There is a ton of uncertainty in this class, so a strong March Madness run could vault a prospect up boards. The Blazers should have a close eye on these players in the dance.
5. Dalton Knecht
Knecht has been one of the best scorers in the NCAA this season and has led Tennessee to the number two seed in the Midwest region. He averages over 21 points per game coming into the tournament and has connected on 39.7 percent of his 199 3-point attempts this season.
It has been an incredible climb for someone who was playing junior college basketball in 2021. Knecht was unranked coming out of high school and spent two years at Northeastern Junior College before transferring to Northern Colorado. He averaged over 20 points per game last season, but few expected him to translate that to the SEC.
There are questions about Knecht’s offensive game and ability to score at the next level. He will put in the work and is drawing some late lottery buzz. If Dalton Knecht leads Tennessee on a deep tournament run, his draft stock will only rise. He is certainly someone to watch closely, but there are multiple prospects on the Blazers radar.