The Portland Trail Blazers acquired second round pick Gary Trent Jr. from the Sacramento Kings. Was it the right choice? How does he fit into the team’s future?
The Portland Trail Blazers entered the 2018 NBA Draft with one pick. Yet, by the time the night was over, they had come away with two prospects.
Portland used their No. 24 overall pick to take combo guard Anfernee Simons. Then in the second round, the Sacramento Kings selected Duke’s Gary Trent Jr. with the No. 37 pick. The Blazers promptly swooped in and acquired the shooting guard, giving the Kings two future second round picks (2019, 2021) in exchange.
Trent comes to the NBA after one season with the Blue Devils. He played and started in 37 games, averaging 14.5 points, 4.2 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 1.2 steals per game. His father, Gary Trent Sr., played nine seasons in the NBA, the first two-and-a-half of which came as a Trail Blazer.
Trent Jr.’s calling card is his 3-point shooting. He knocked down 40.2 percent of his outside shots, which was tops in the ACC. He also impressed at the NBA Draft Combine, scoring 32 total points on 52.6 percent shooting from the field, 4-for-8 shooting from beyond the arc, and missing just one of his nine free throw attempts in the two scrimmages he played.
Now, Gary Trent Jr. is following in his father’s footsteps, but looking to make a name of his own in the NBA. Here are three reasons why the Portland Trail Blazers are the right team for him to start his career with.