Trail Blazers 2024 NBA Draft Big Board: Lottery rankings for Rip City

Tier 1: Off the table unless Portland trades up

No. 3: Reed Sheppard, Kentucky

Reed Sheppard is the top shooter in the draft class after connecting on an absurd 52.1 percent of his threes his freshman year at Kentucky. Given his skillset and efficiency, you'd like to see him be more aggressive, but Sheppard is one of the safest picks in the draft due to his shooting, playmaking, and elite ability to anticipate plays on both sides of the ball. However, he's unlikely to fall to the Trail Blazers at No. 7, and given his lack of positional fit, it doesn't appear likely Portland will trade up for him.

No. 2: Alex Sarr, Perth (Australia)

Alex Sarr has all the physical tools to be the best defensive player in the class, even being compared to Evan Mobley and Jaren Jackson Jr. The Trail Blazers could benefit from having a piece like Sarr to anchor their defense. Offensively, he's a bit more raw than you'd like a top prospect to be. However, he will immediately make an impact as a rim-runner due to his length and athleticism.

No. 1: Zaccharie Risacher, Bourg (France)

The Atlanta Hawks are also considering Donovan Clingan as the potential No. 1 pick, but Risacher remains the likely top choice. It's easy to see why teams covet Risacher; he has both the floor and ceiling that many prospects are lacking in this draft class. Risacher has great positional size at 6-foot-9 and should make an immediate impact as a 3-and-D wing, with upside for more as a playmaker and shot-creator.

The Blazers are eying versatile wings like Williams and Salaun with their No. 7 pick, and Risarcher aligns with the type of player they are targeting. He would have been an ideal fit if they had secured a higher draft position.