The process of scouting players whom a team might one day select in the NBA draft is a years-long process. While you have to at least one year removed from high school domestically or be at least 18 internationally in order to declare for the draft, by that time, any team that values scouting and talent evaluation will already have a decent idea of who that player is, both on and off the court.
But there’s only so much you can learn about a person by scouting games or watching film. That’s where the pre-draft workouts come in.
Throughout the run up to the draft, teams bring in players, either individually or in groups, to participate in workouts at their practice facilities with hopes of getting a better sense of whether that player has the traits, both as an athlete and a person, that would make them a valuable addition to their respective franchises. It’s also the one of the last steps in the process, so if there are questions a team still has about a player, the pre-draft workout is one of the few remaining opportunities to get an answer.
So here are the players that the Portland Trail Blazers have invited to their practice facility in Tualatin for workouts as they prepare to use the seventh, 14th, 34th and 40th picks at the 2024 NBA Draft, which is scheduled for June 26 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn.
June 6
Dalton Knecht: 23.1, 6-6, Guard, Tennessee, ESPN rank: 8
Dalton Knecht figured he might be ready to make the jump to the NBA after two years at Northeastern Junior College followed by two more at Northern Colorado.
He was named All-Big Sky second team after leading the conference in scoring his final season at Northern Colorado, and considering the success that many players from mid-majors now have in the pros, getting a crack at an NBA roster seemed reasonable.
June 4
Daniss Jenkins: 22.9, 6-2, Guard , St. John’s
Dillon Jones: 22.7, 6-5, Wing, Weber State, ESPN rank: 47
Dillon Jones Media Availability | Portland Trail Blazers Pre-Draft Workout
Spencer Jones: 23.0. 6-7, Wing, Stanford
Jared McCain: 20.3, 6-3, Guard, Duke, ESPN rank: 15
Jared McCain Media Availability | Portland Trail Blazers Pre-Draft Workout
Noah Penda: 19.5, 6-8, Wing, Ja Vichy-Clermont
Armel Traore: 21.4, 6-9, Forward, Ada Blois, ESPN rank: 7
On Tuesday, the Portland Trail Blazers held their fourth predraft workout of 2024 at their practice facility in Tualatin featuring six players.
Dillon Jones, a 6-5 wing out of Weber State, Jared McCain, a 6-3 guard out of Duke, Armel Traore, a 6-9 forward out of Ada Blois, Daniss Jenkins, a 6-2 guard out of St. John’s, Spencer Jones, a 6-7 wing out of Stanford, and Noah Penda, a 6-8 forward out of Ja Vichy-Clermont, were put through a series of drills and scrimmages as the team evaluates which players they’ll target with the seventh, 14th, 34th and 40th picks at the 2024 Draft.
May 30
Melvin Ajinca: 20.0, Wing, 6-8, Saint-Quentin (France), ESPN rank: 49
Cam Christie: 18.9, 6-5, Wing, Missouri, ESPN rank: 34
Thierry Darlan: 20.4, 6-7, Wing, G League Ignite
Malik Hall: 23.9, 6-8, Forward, Michigan State
Harrison Ingram: 21.4, 6-6, Forward, North Carolina
Keshad Johnson: 23.0, 6-7, Forward, Arizona
May 28
Isaiah Crawford: 22.3, 6-6, Wing, Louisiana Tech, ESPN rank: 81
Alex Karaban*: 21.6, 6-7, Forward, UCONN
Caleb Love*: 22.7, 6-3, Guard, Arizona
Quinten Post: 24.3, 7-0, Center, Boston College, ESPN rank: 71
Tyler Smith: 19.6, 6-10, Forward, G League Ignite, ESPN rank: 27
Kel’el Ware: 20.2, 7-0, Center, Indiana, ESPN rank: 25
RaeQuan Battle: 23.3, 6-5, Wing, West Virginia
Adem Bona: 21.1, 6-9, Power Forward/Center, UCLA, ESPN rank: 40
Adem Bona Media Availability | Portland Trail Blazers Pre-Draft Workout
Arthur Kaluma*: 22.3, 6-7, Forward, Kansas State
Ugonna Onyenso*: 19.7, 6-11, Power Forward/Center, Kentucky
Will Richard*: 21.5, Wing, Florida
Jaylon Tyson: 21.6, Wing, California, ESPN rank: 33
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