3 sneaky players Portland can take with No. 23 pick

What direction will the Portland Trail Blazers go during the 2023 NBA offseason?

10 players at least have the option of returning to the roster for the 2023-24 season, according to Spotrac. Forward Kevin Knox is listed with a club option next season. Forwards Trendon Watford, Jabari Walker and guard Jeenathan Williams are listed with non-guaranteed contracts. Portland will have to try to retain a multitude of players in free agency, including forward Jerami Grant.

The Trail Blazers have the No. 3, No. 23 and No. 43 picks in the 2023 NBA Draft. With forward Victor Wembanyama likely off the board by the time Portland makes their selection in the top 5, The Blazers can try to continue the tradition of excellent point guard play if they select G League Ignite guard Scoot Henderson at No. 3 or trade the pick for a more experienced option to make another push for the playoffs.

Pick No. 23 will be important in rounding out the roster with helpful role players who can contribute immediately or be franchise cornerstones after a few years of patient waiting. In a guard-heavy draft, Portland may have limited options who can provide extra size and rebounding help. But the Blazers will still have options if they are willing to be patient for a few years for a bright young forward to develop on their roster.

Who are some sneaky picks for the Trail Blazers with the No. 23 selection in the draft?

Bobi Klintman

The Blazers need bigs.

Whether through free agency or in the draft, Portland will need to invest in size if it is going to make future runs for the playoffs. It would need to keep rounding out its high-potential core of the future around Simons and Henderson with a few options at either the four or the five if they were to take the high-flying G League guard at No. 3.

Watford and center Jusuf Nurkic are the only bigs listed on Spotrac’s 2023-24 Salary Cap grid for the Blazers. Grant and forward Drew Eubanks are listed as unrestricted free agents for the 2023 offseason.

If they are willing to be patient with Klintman, the 6-foot-10-inch forward can be a valuable option for them.

He averaged 5.6 points and 4.6 rebounds per game during his only season with the Wake Forest Demon Deacons, but his potential put him higher up on more recent mock drafts.

“While Klintman wasn’t asked to be a high-volume scorer at Wake Forest, he displayed plenty of confidence as a three-point shooter, as well as a shot-creator on the ball,” an NBA.com draft profile read. “At 6-foot-10 with a rangy wingspan, Klintman has prototypical NBA size and should eventually be able to slide between forward and small-ball center.

“Klintman is a good decision-maker who moves well off the ball, and he’s a willing passer for his size with above-average vision. He may not be an instant-impact player at the NBA level, but Klintman has the makings of a productive 3-and-D big man down the road.”

Watford had a decent sophomore season with the Blazers, posting averages of 7.4 points, 3.8 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game in 62 games and 12 starts. If the Blazers can keep Grant on the roster, Watford could be a decent depth piece to hold onto as Klintman develops with NBA-level talent or with Portland’s newly-created NBA G League franchise.

James Nnaji

Nnaji will be another risky move, but a worthwhile one if the Blazers can tap into the NBA potential he possesses.

Nnaji had limited time during his 45 appearances with FC Barcelona last season. He played in 19 Euroleague games and 30 games in Liga ACB, the top Spanish professional basketball division.

But he provides NBA-level size and athleticism to a Portland team needing longer-term options at the center spot. He can provide some much-needed size and rebounding help for the Blazers, who placed 28th in the NBA in rebounds per game with 40.5.

“Despite his lack of playing time, NBA scouts consider Nnaji perhaps the most physically gifted player in the 2023 draft, standing 6-foot-11, 226 pounds with a 7-foot-5 wingspan and tremendous quickness and explosiveness that make him a highlight-reel caliber finisher and shot-blocker,” ESPN NBA Draft expert Jonathan Givony wrote in an April article.

GG Jackson

A hard-working forward out of South Carolina, GG Jackson will be another intriguing gamble to look out for with the No. 23 pick if he falls to Portland later in the first round. The 6-foot-9-inch forward from Columbia, S.C., ended the 2022-23 season with averages of 15.4 points and 5.9 rebounds as he played in 32 games and started in 29.

The youthful forward is the youngest player in this year’s draft class, according to a Tuesday article from NBA.com writer Wheat Hotchkiss. Along with 20-year-old Shaedon Sharpe, 23-year-old Nassir Little and 24-year-old Anfernee Simons, Jackson could help continue the youth movement in Portland and help build a bright core for the future at No. 23.

“The sky’s the limit to be honest,” Jackson said, via NBA.com. “There was a lot of players in college whether they’d be 20, 21, 22, etc. They were considered elite players and I feel like I definitely matched their level.

“I imagine where will my game be when I get to their age.”