Trail Blazers 2024 NBA Draft Big Board: Lottery rankings for Rip City
By Reese Kunz
Tier 3: High-upside wings
No. 8: Matas Buzelis, G League Ignite
Buzelis is a 6-foot-10 do-it-all forward who would fit seamlessly on any roster, especially the Blazers, who need more wing depth. However, one concern about Buzelis as a prospect is his shooting. In 26 games with the G League Ignite, Buzelis shot only 27.3 percent from beyond the arc. Buzelis must become at least a league-average shooter to return top-ten draft value. Despite this, his size, versatility, and ability to contribute in multiple aspects make Buzelis a coveted draft prospect.
No. 7: Tidjane Salaun, Cholet (France)
While rookie Toumani Camara had an up-and-coming season, the Blazers don't have long-term answers at their forward positions, especially if Jerami Grant is on the move. Salaun is one of the riskiest picks in the lottery, but the Blazers seem keen on high-upside prospects, as evidenced by the Shaedon Sharpe selection two years ago.
Salaun makes sense for Portland from a positional fit and a rebuilding timeline standpoint. By the time he's finally developed enough to be a starter in the NBA, the Blazers will hopefully be ready to contend for a playoff spot again. In a draft where the Blazers have two lottery picks and several prospects have question marks, Salaun is the type of prospect they can afford to take a chance on.
No. 6: Cody Williams, Colorado
Cody Williams is one of the biggest surprises in this big board ranking, as ESPN draft expert Jonathan Givony has Williams ranked as the No. 11 overall prospect; this shows how much variance there is in these lottery picks. Williams gets the nod over Buzelis and Salaun because he offers versatility as a 6-foot-8 forward with great ballhandling ability. He also shot the ball better than the other two prospects in his season at Colorado, with efficient 55/42/71 shooting splits.
Given Williams' ceiling, versatility, and the Blazers' positional needs, the Colorado freshman is an ideal pick.