Auburn basketball: The 3 best NBA fits for Isaac Okoro

This one would likely require Okoro to fall to pick No. 14 but while it’s probably the least likely to happen on this list, it is still certainly possible.

The Blazers drafted North Carolina wing Nassir Little in the first round last year but he didn’t show too much during his rookie season. Portland also has veteran Carmelo Anthony who had a bit of a career revival after being out of the league.

As the league moves to more small-ball lineups, the Blazers could very easily move Anthony to power forward (as they did most this season) and slide Okoro in the small forward spot. A quality small forward has been the missing piece for Portland since they drafted Damian Lillard and Okoro could give them that.

Like the Bulls, the Blazers have established scoring options like Lillard (28.9 ppg) and shooting guard C.J. McCollum (22.5 ppg) that would allow Okoro to focus on his role of being a defensive stopper.

At the same time, the Blazers are one of the more three-point heavy teams in the league so Okoro could bring in some much-needed inside scoring.

Also, what better way for Okoro to develop his offensive games that learning from one of the most offensively skilled forwards in NBA history (Anthony) and one of the league’s top scorers (Lillard).

Okoro offers the defensive versatility of former Blazer Al-Farouq Aminu while providing much more potential offensively and obviously cheaper as he would be on a rookie deal.

The Blazers had a down year in 2020 after making the Western Conference Finals the season prior.  Along with the stars and several great supporting pieces they already have, Okoro would be exactly what the team needs to get back to being a power in the West.