Portland Trail Blazers NBA Draft: Grades for every draft day move
By Clay Barley
Picks No. 34 and No. 40: Traded for future second-round picks (and cash)
The Blazers traded the No. 34 pick to the New York Knicks, which they used to select Tyler Kolek. In exchange, Portland received three future second-round picks: a 2027 second from Minnesota, the 2029 least favorable second between Indiana and Washington, and a 2030 second from New York.
They also traded the No. 40 pick to the Oklahoma City Thunder to move down to the No. 52, along with cash. Then, they flipped the No. 52 pick to the Golden State Warriors in exchange for more cash.
Blazers got cash from OKC to move up from 52 to 40, and then got cash from Golden State for their own pick (52) back. This after sending 34 to New York for three future seconds. They're out of the second round entirely.
— Sean Highkin (@highkin) June 27, 2024
These are seemingly inconsequential trades, but there were quite a few high-value prospects that the Blazers should have taken. It would have been nice if the Blazers kept at least one of these picks. However, if they want to stockpile for the future and get back some of the assets they gave to aquire Deni Avdija, then that's a valid decision.
Grade: C+
Overall, this draft should be a good sign for Blazers fans. The rebuild has been shaky in its first season, but the team is starting to trend in the right direction with the additions of Clingan and Avdija. They will both be key contributors next season as the Blazers try to improve upon their 2023-2024 season.
Overall draft grade: B+
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