NBA Draft 2019: Nassir Little in perfect situation with Portland Trail Blazers

Nassir Little fell a bit in the 2019 NBA Draft to the Portland Trail Blazers. But it could ultimately end up being a blessing in disguise.

While Bol Bol received most of the attention when it comes to those who took a tumble in the NBA Draft, Nassir Little’s fall from possible top-5 overall pick all the way down to No. 25 with the Portland Trail Blazers also was newsworthy.

It was just over a year since Little’s stock was as high as it’s ever been, winning the MVP of the High School McDonald’s All-American game. He was the best non-Duke prospect in the 2018 recruiting class and a projected top-10 pick in the 2019 NBA Draft.

But things changed when he arrived at North Carolina. He became the team’s 6th man while Cam Johnson had the wing position on lock. The star recruit was the backup at both forward positions this past season and even though he averaged over 20 ppg per 40 minutes, Little showed some warning signs. He struggles to shoot from the perimeter and had nearly twice as many turnovers as assists.

For someone slated to play a lot on the wings at the next level, NBA scouts didn’t know what to do with Little. He has tremendous potential on both sides but the lack of shooting and overall shot selection drove some away.

But Portland wasn’t scared to take him at No. 25, one of the better value picks of the draft. He joins star guards Damian Lillard and CJ McCullum on a team who just went to the Western Conference Finals a month ago. Jusuf Nurkic missed the postseason but is the third wheel on the team, averaging 15.6 ppg and 10.4 rpg.

Outside of the trio, no one else that was with the Trail Blazers all season averaged over double-digits. Relying on both McCullum and Lillard to averaged around 50 ppg combined limits their ceiling. At No. 25, Little was by far the best offensive talent available for the franchise. He’ll get to play off the ball and have plenty of room to operate as he’ll be the fourth option on the court as a rookie. His slashing ability adds another dimension to the Trail Blazers on the wings instead of a catch and shoot option.

Portland didn’t have a clear weakness to fill in the draft (which allowed them to take the best player available at the time) but the pickup of Little allows them to make some interesting free agency decisions. Both Al-Faruoq Aminu and Rodney Hood are unrestricted free agents, with the ladder due for a nice pay raise. The Trail Blazers now don’t have to pay them both with Little on board and could even do something with Evan Turner’s $19 million dollar expiring contract if there’s a trade partner around. Had the team taken a big man or a guard, their hands would’ve been more tied.

Portland is one of the top teams in the western conference but with the Los Angeles teams improving, the competition remains fierce, even without Golden State at the top. But the drafting of Little should prove to be no small matter, as the collective ceiling of the franchise just got bigger going forward.