5 teams with the most to gain from 2023 NBA Draft

Portland Trail Blazers

It would’ve been nice for the Portland Trail Blazers to land the first or second pick. Having the third pick isn’t too bad either, though.

There’s a consensus top three in the 2023 draft. Wembanyama is the No. 1 guy, while Scoot Henderson and Brandon Miller trail behind him, probably in that order.

Portland would likely be happy to have either as it charts a direction with a core featuring Shaedon Sharpe and Anfernee Simons. The Trail Blazers may also have something to gain by trading the pick.

There’s a few ways the draft can go. First, Portland can take one of the lofty top prospects and hope they can be a critical part of the post-Damian Lillard era.

Second, they can trade that pick. That could be done in the service of two different goals: adding a superstar to pair with Lillard and take another run at a championship, or accumulate more picks and prospects and gear up for a substantial rebuild.

It’s hard not to imagine this being an emotional decision in an emotionless business. Lillard has been the heart and soul of Portland, the face of the franchise, loyal in the face of a myriad of disappointments. The Trail Blazers want to win with Lillard, but there’s also a need to look towards the future.

Regardless of what Portland decides to do next month at the draft, there’s very little for the franchise to lose and everything to gain.