Potential No. 7 Picks Bennedict Mathurin, Jalen Duren Work Out For Blazers

The Portland Trail Blazers are ramping up their pre-draft workouts this week and have hosted Arizona wing Bennedict Mathurin and Memphis center Jalen Duren at the facility.

Mathurin had his workout Sunday, while Duren had his Monday.

Mathurin played two seasons with the Wildcats but truly broke out in 2021-22. The Montreal native averaged 17.7 points per game, leading Arizona to a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament and a Sweet 16 appearance. During the second round of the tournament, Mathurin had his signature moment, scoring 30 points in an overtime victory against TCU and cemented his status as a top pick in this year’s draft.

Mathurin could be the best player available at No. 7 and could slot in as the team’s starting three of the future.

Duren was a top 10 prospect in the high school Class of 2021 and ultimately chose to play for Penny Hardaway and the Memphis Tigers. Duren started 29 games for the Tigers this past season, averaging 12 points and 8.1 rebounds per game.

With Jusuf Nurkic entering free agency, the team could use a replacement at the center position.