Armed with the No. 15, 20 and 26 picks heading into the 2017 NBA Draft, the Portland Trail Blazers had a real opportunity to pull off a big move to change the franchise’s direction. And pulled off a big move, they did indeed.
Portland swapped their No. 15 and 20 picks to jump up five spots and take the draft rights to Zach Collins, the promising big man that helped propel Gonzaga to the national championship game against North Carolina. Collins’ versatility and upside was seen as a smarter investment than anything they would have gotten with their current picks.