Portland Trail Blazers general manager Joe Cronin said many things during an extensive exit interview with media back on April 30. Slipped into that wide-ranging 23-minute interview was a small aside about the upcoming NBA Draft.
“[Blazers owner Tom Dundon is] going to put money into this team whenever it’s necessary,” Cronin said. “We’ve had a ton of conversations already about how we can buy into this draft using cash.”
That notion will serve as the basis for today’s offseason discussion question:
Should the Trail Blazers buy or trade their way into the 2026 NBA Draft?
In a rare occurrence, the Blazers own no picks in this summer’s draft. After making the playoffs this season, Portland’s 2026 first-round pick finally conveyed to the Chicago Bulls, the last vestige from the long-ago trade for Larry Nance Jr. in 2021. In the 2021 offseason, they also traded their 2026 second-round pick, along with cash considerations, to the New Orleans Pelicans to obtain the draft rights to second-round pick Greg Brown III.
As somebody who (unexpectedly) came to enjoy covering Mock Draft Season last year, Portland’s lack of picks this offseason is a bummer. It’s also a bummer because this site’s readership contains some of the best and most engaged amateur draft scouts in the comment sections. Seeing their analysis — full of favorite prospects and draft-night red flags — was a big reason why I enjoyed providing that coverage last summer.
So, for old time’s sake, let’s give those amateur draft gurus the chance to show their knowledge and discuss their passion. Is there a first-round prospect in this year’s draft you feel like Portland needs to grab? What about a second-round pick who you believe is a diamond in the rough?
Let us know in the comments below!
