Blazers draft Rondae Hollis-Jefferson 23rd, reportedly trade him to Nets
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The Portland Trail Blazers selected Arizona small forward Rondae Hollis-Jefferson with the No. 23 overall pick in the 2015 NBA Draft on Thursday night.
Approximately 90 minutes later, he was reportedly traded to Brooklyn Nets along with Steve Blake for Mason Plumlee and Pat Connaughton.
Like Willie Cauley-Stein before him, Hollis-Jefferson is an intriguing experiment in the value of defense - or rather, how one glaring weakness can affect a draft stock.
Hollis-Jefferson is likely to be an elite, multi-position defender, with high-end athleticism propping up a 7-foot-2 wingspan, 8-foot-8 standing reach, and terrific defensive instincts and intensity. He's also great in the open court, can get to the rim and knock down resultant free throws, and moves well without the ball. There's genuinely a lot to like here.
However, his one major shortcoming can make fitting him into five-man units tricky: Hollis-Jefferson can't shoot. At all. And while some franchises believe shooting is a skill that can be developed, opponents won't pay RHJ much mind to start his career, potentially mucking up spacing or forcing an inversion of the forward positions on offense.
Even with that limitation, Hollis-Jefferson could be great value at No. 23. He's a jumper away from legitimate star potential.
You can read more about Hollis-Jefferson in our scouting report.