The recent NBA Draft Lottery gave the Portland Trail Blazers the third overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, a powerful asset as they pursue their stated objective of building an immediate contender around franchise superstar Damian Lillard. Unlike the first overall pick—yielding generational center Victor Wembanyama—the third selection is not a “set it and forget it” prospect. Portland has a compass and some snacks now, but they’re not out of the woods as they would have been with a first-class lift from Wemby Air.
As soon as the draft order was known, questions like this one started flooding the Blazer’s Edge Mailbag:
Dave,
I think the Blazers should keep No.