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NBA Draft rumors: Miller sliding to No. 5, Blazers could keep No. 3, updated early entrants

By Kyle Delaney

Mar 24, 2023; Louisville, KY, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide forward Brandon Miller (24) dribbles during the second half of the NCAA tournament round of sixteen against the San Diego State Aztecs at KFC YUM! Center. Mandatory Credit: Jamie Rhodes-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 24, 2023; Louisville, KY, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide forward Brandon Miller (24) dribbles during the second half of the NCAA tournament round of sixteen against the San Diego State Aztecs at KFC YUM! Center. Mandatory Credit: Jamie Rhodes-USA TODAY Sports /
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Damian Willard
Apr 9, 2023; Portland, Oregon, USA; (from left) Portland Trail Blazers shooting guard Anfernee Simons (1), center Jusuf Turkic (27), and point guard Damian Lillard (0) watch the game from the team bench during the first half against the Golden State Warriors at Moda Center. Mandatory Credit: Soobum Im-USA TODAY Sports /

NBA Draft Rumors: Trail Blazers could keep No. 3 pick amid trade buzz

If you’re the Portland Trail Blazers, you want to keep your All-NBA point guard happy and that means giving him a fighting chance to win a championship.

The Blazers have a unique opportunity in this NBA Draft. They can keep the third pick and draft a high-caliber player, such as Scoot Henderson or Brandon Miller. That way, they’ll continue to build around Damian Lillard, which is more or less what they’ve been doing. Or they can use that third overall pick as an asset.

After all, Shaedon Sharpe and Anfernee Simons have a lot of youth and upside. Surrounding Lillard with players that need less development and are more focused on winning now might be the most beneficial move for the Blazers given their current roster.

Looking at the Blazers’ current situation, Blazers writer Sean Highkin said, via Hoops Rumors, “I think it’s more likely that they trade the pick than they keep it.”

Though he also countered this thought, “It’s not impossible that they keep the pick and draft somebody while also keeping Dame.” With Nurkic, Grant, and Lillard all in or around their prime, it’s arguable that the contending pieces are there. The Blazers hope to find this missing piece come draft night. The only question is how they plan to solve that problem.

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