23. Portland Trail Blazers (via New York Knicks) – Dariq Whitehead, F, Duke
With another first-round pick in this year’s NBA Draft, you can make the argument that even though Damian Lillard may not want a rebuild the Portland Trail Blazers are slowly transitioning into one. Another worthy selection for this team would be Dariq Whitehead.
When it comes to Whitehead, you simply hope he can blossom into much more than a 3-and-D player. But even if he is just that, that’s worthy of burning a first-round pick on. At the same time, I’m not entirely sure Whitehead won’t return to Duke next season.
24. Sacramento Kings – Kyle Filipowski, F, Duke
As one of the bigger surprises in the NBA this season, the Sacramento Kings will be heading into the offseason with hopes of taking another step as a legit threat in the Western Conference. One way they could do that is by potentially finding a diamond in the rough late in the first round.
One interesting prospect that will likely be selected in this range is Kyle Filipowski. He’s another prospect that I don’t quite have a grasp on but has a great array of skill sets that will be appealing to scouts.