NBA Mock Draft: Final lottery and first-round predictions before the big night
7. Portland Trail Blazers - Tidjane Salaun, F, France
Of all the teams selecting in the top 10, I believe that there's a very good chance that the Portland Trail Blazers end up being one of the teams that end up taking the biggest risk move. And that could result in Tidjane Salaun coming off the board with the No. 7 pick. For as rawly talented as Salaun may be, it's clear that he represents one of the bigger high-risk, high-ceiling players that will be taken in the lottery. He's far from a safe pick and will certainly need a few years before he's a consistent contributor to a team.
In the early stages of their rebuild, this is a move that makes sense for the Blazers. Portland isn't winning anything any time soon and adding another high-ceiling player could be the move for the team heading into the offseason. Salaun is a theoretical fit on the Blazers as a versatile forward and if he does reach his ceiling, he could be a truly impactful player for the team down the line.
If all goes well, it wouldn't be surprising to see Salaun develop into one of the better players from this year's draft class. That's how talented he is.