The Portland Trail Blazers are currently expected to have the No. 5 pick in this year’s NBA draft.
Dale Zanine – USA TODAY Sports
The Portland Trail Blazers will have a big decision to make ahead of the NBA draft this summer.
If the Blazers land the first pick, taking Victor Wembanyama will be an easy decision for Portland. But if the team ends up with a pick less than that, things could get dicey.
Right now, the Blazers are expected to pick the No. 5, and if the team keeps the pick, Yardbarker’s Pat Heery suggests Portland could take elite overtime point guard Ausar Thompson.
While he doesn’t quite fit Damian Lillard’s timeline, if the Blazers selected Amen’s brother, Ausar Thompson, they would have two incredibly athletic wings to build for the future (along with Shaedon Sharpe). In terms of athleticism, that would amount to the Raptors having Vince Carter and Tracy McGrady at the time. Ausar has a similar build to his brother, and while he doesn’t possess the exact same explosiveness as Amen, he’s close. Plus, he’s a better scorer than his brother and probably a bit more ready for the NBA right now. While Portland should be thrilled to land a Thompson brother, there’s always a chance that pick could be traded for a winning player now to give Lillard one last fighting chance, so keep an eye out for a rebuilding team for potentially to go up. for this choice.
Thompson probably isn’t an option for the Blazers if Damian Lillard is still around. If there’s a change on that front, though, taking a player like Thompson could be the decision of a rebuilding Blazers team.
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