Portland Trail Blazers: 5 offseason roster moves they need to make

5. Draft Jalen Smith

The Trail Blazers have the 16th and the 46th pick in the 2020 NBA draft. They may be able to use the second-round pick for either a project or as part of a draft-night trade. However, we will focus on the 16th pick.

The Blazers should use this pick to select Jalen Smith, the 6’10” prospect out of Maryland. Smith can play both the power forward and center roles which is the big reason the Blazers should take him.

With more than half of their frontcourt talent being free agents or injury-prone, the Blazers need to guarantee they will have a backup for Nurkic. If Collins has another year like the last one then Smith may be on the fast track to good minutes.

Smith averaged a double-double in his sophomore season with 15.5 points and 10.5 rebounds per game. His 7’2″ wingspan allowed him to average 2.4 blocks in 31.3 minutes per game. His 225 lbs frame allows him to set a solid screen before rolling to the hoop where he is a good finisher.

He is able to play a good back to the basket game but needs to work on creating his own shot inside. His solid rim running and good catch and finish skills around the rim had him shooting 64 percent inside the paint.

He is a good 3-point shooter from straight on, making 42 percent of his attempts from the top of the perimeter. He is a better corner 3-point shooter, making 46 percent of his attempts from there. He would be a really solid addition to the Portland Trail Blazers lineup.