The Portland Trail Blazers have exited the 2024 NBA Draft after a pick, a flurry of trades, and a fair amount of debate as to their intentions and aims. The Blazers drafted center Donovan Clingan 7th overall, traded their 14th pick for small forward Deni Avdija, then danced do-si-do with a pair of second round selections, ending up with no players but three future draft picks and cash in hand.
Wrapping up the proceedings, let’s look at the most common questions submitted to the Blazer’s Edge Mailbag following the event.
How Did the Blazers Do?
Overall, I think they did fine. The Blazers were thrift shopping through this experience. Given the draft class and their pick position, you wouldn’t expect them to come away with premier results. Instead they got a couple of wearable separates fairly cheap. For me, that’s good enough. I don’t see a ton of alternatives that would have helped them more.
Was Avdija a Good Get?
Quite a few people expressed frustration with the trade that brought Deni Avdija to Portland. It actually made a fair amount of sense.
Trading Malcolm Brogdon was a no-brainer. The Blazers aren’t going to win next season. He was carrying a super-expensive $23 million contract. The Blazers are on the border of the luxury tax threshold and dare not go over. Brogdon was sticking out like a sore thumb. If he wasn’t moved now, it’s all but guaranteed he would be by the trade deadline. As good of a player as he is, he had negative value to the Blazers.
Moving the 14th pick for Avdija seems to be ruffling feathers even more than losing Brogdon. This is even easier to understand, though. The talent pool in the middle of the draft was speculative, at best. Players available there were either really young, one-dimensional, or both. The Blazers are already stocked with young prospects with holes in their game. They don’t need to start fresh with another, especially if the ceiling isn’t high.
In Avdija, the Blazers got a player with four full years of NBA experience. They like his efficiency, IQ, and passing potential at small forward. Keep in mind, Portland doesn’t have a developed point guard yet. Fielding multiple playmakers who can keep the ball moving helps. Avdija won’t demand shots, but he will convert them. Offensively, at least, it’s a good pick-up.
Two other critical factors weigh in. Avdija has already inked his next contract. It’s of modest value—$15.6 million this year—and actually declines through 2028. Second, Avdija doesn’t have to be a franchise savior to make the move make sense. He only has to be better than whatever player the Blazers would have selected 14th. He is clearly that, with more upside potential to boot.
In short, there was nothing wrong with this trade, given Portland’s situation. It may not “move the needle”, but it keeps momentum alive more than drafting a totally-unproven, low-upside rookie.
Will Clingan Start?
Normally you’d expect the 7th overall pick in the draft to start soon. I’m not sure the Blazers got Clingan with that in mind. He was likely the best player available from their draft board. His body and rebounding will give him a head start. Give him time to build.
I don’t think Clingan opens up the season in the starting lineup. I don’t think acquiring him means Deandre Ayton and Robert Williams III are any more trade-able than they were already (which is plenty trade-able). The Blazers may move them, but if so, that was going to happen anyway.
Clingan is a project, hopefully a serviceable starter or a key role-player someday. His game doesn’t fit with the modern NBA but his size and defensive willingness will always earn him a chance.
What About that Second Round Stuff?
There’s no big mystery about it. Presumably Portland didn’t fall in love with anyone in the second round. Instead they parlayed a couple of picks in a relatively-weak draft into future picks that might be stronger. Getting cash on the side is a nice bonus. The team will value every dollar they can get over the next couple seasons. Again, these weren’t world-changing moves, but they made sense given Portland’s priorities.
Overall Grade
If you factor in context, I’d give the Blazers a B or a B+ for this draft. In the abstract—gauging its overall impact on the future—it’s probably insignificant, maybe a D. Factor in what could be done overall and what needed to be done in Portland, though. and you’ll understand that the Blazers did about as well as they could.
What’s Next?
Free agency is looming. We’ll talk about what the Blazers are likely to do (or not do) tomorrow.
Christine Lake is a sports fanatic who lives and breathes athletics. With an extensive background in sports journalism, he covers everything from major league championships to grassroots sports events. When she’s not on the field or at the stadium, you’ll find Christine coaching youth sports teams.
