Blazer’s Edge 2022 NBA Draft Guide

The 2022 NBA Draft is just over two months away and the Trail Blazers are in position to significantly reshape their roster once the clock starts. Unlike the last year, the Blazers enter draft night with at least one first-round pick in their possession.

Depending on how CJ McCollum and the Pelicans finish, the Blazers could come away with a second pick in the first round. If New Orleans qualifies for the traditional 16-team postseason field, Portland will receive a first-round pick in a future draft. Even if the Pelicans miss the playoffs, the Blazers are not out of the woods. Portland only receives the pick from New Orleans if it lands between No. 5 and No. 14.

In terms of the Blazers’ position in the first round, the lottery process is set to unfold on May 17. Portland enters the lottery drawing with the sixth-best odds. If you are unfamiliar with the current process, click here for an excellent guide that NBA.com put together.

Outside of the first round, the Blazers also own two second-round picks. Their first second-round pick is positions at selection No. 36. Portland is also set to pick in Memphis’ former slot at pick No. 59. It is worth noting that the No. 59 pick is in a slightly better position in this year’s draft. Both the Heat and Bucks were forced to forfeit their second-round picks this year, which moves the Blazers’ final pick up two slots.

Our Approach

Draft profiles are set to release later this week. To start, we will focus on lottery-projected players that have already declared for the 2022 NBA Draft. As more players officially enter the process, we will work them into the schedule. To be clear, the order in which player profiles appear is not tied to their rank.

For second-round prospects, Blazer’s Edge contributor Steve Dewald has a question for you: do you want to see these prospect profiles mixed in with first-round profiles (they will clearly labelled at the start of the profile)?

Finally, our profiles are rooted in the “best player available” mindset. We understand that the Blazers feature a handful of very talented guards on their roster. But you will still see guards throughout our coverage process.

Format

Our 2022 profiles will follow the same outline as previous years, for the most part. Each profile will include:

• Player vitals (height, weight, etc)
• Player stats (this will include per 36 or per 40 when applicable)
• Prospect strengths
• Prospect weaknesses
• Overview of the previous season
• Overall assessment
• Fit with the Blazers

What you will not see: direct player comparisons. You might see us define a prospect by using existing archetypes (3-and-D wing, shoot-first point guard, etc) or one aspect of that player’s game compared to an existing player, but you will not see our profiles feature straight-across comparisons to current players.

Moving Forward

Profiles are set to roll out this week. This will be the largest pool prospects since the 2017 NBA Draft process. Along with profiles, Steve has a few other ideas in mind for additional draft-related content.