2022 NBA Mock Draft: Detroit Pistons drop to 5th pick
2022 NBA Mock Draft: Pick #4
Forward. 4. player. Pick Analysis. Duke/ Portland Trail Blazers. Paolo Banchero. 34. Scouting Report
The Trail Blazers would be ecstatic if things worked out this way, as they too jumped a couple of spots to leapfrog the Detroit Pistons in the 2022 NBA Draft.
There has been heavy rumor that Portland will try to trade their lottery pick for Jerami Grant of the Detroit Pistons, but if they were to jump into the top-4 there is zero chance of that happening, as there is no way Grant is worth a top-4 pick.
Instead, the Blazers just take Banchero, who falls into their laps after the Pacers take Ivey. The Trail Blazers need talent at power forward and Banchero would immediately be a weapon in the two-man game with Damian Lillard.
This would also allow Portland to use their cap space and trade exception to go after a guy like Zach LaVine in an effort to reload around Lillard as soon as possible.