Draft night for the Blazers didn't end with the blockbuster trade we all hoped for, but in the end the team landed a solid prospect in Nassir Little and still have three valuable expiring contracts as they prepare to enter free agency on June 30th.
Neil Olshey met with the media following the conclusion of the draft. He discussed a few things that caught my ear.
- The Blazers were delighted to land Little at #25. He was the 12th rated prospect on their draft board.
- They made an effort to buy their way into the second round but the price became too high with multiple teams looking for picks.
- Neil Olshey said everyone will be surprised at the development with last year's first round pick Anfernee Simons. He said Simons has the most "God-given" ability of any player they have drafted since he has been on the job.
- The team remains active in the trade market looking for opportunities to upgrade the team.
Olshey also discussed his first draft without Paul Allen, who passed away before the start of the season.
You can hear Neil's thoughts on Allen, the draft, and Nassir Little in the latest episode of the "What's Chad Doing" podcast. Chad will share his thoughts on the rare emotion from Neil Olshey and his thoughts on the Blazers landing Little at #25.
Listen here-