Fansided
The Smoking Cuban

NBA Offseason Awards For Western Conference

By Isaac Harris
BLOOMINGTON, MN - JUNE 29: Tom Thibobeau introduces Jimmy Butler of the Minnesota Timberwolves to the public during a press conference at the Mall of America on June 29, 2017 in Bloomington, Minnesota. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Gary Dineen/NBAE via Getty Images)
BLOOMINGTON, MN - JUNE 29: Tom Thibobeau introduces Jimmy Butler of the Minnesota Timberwolves to the public during a press conference at the Mall of America on June 29, 2017 in Bloomington, Minnesota. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Gary Dineen/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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TARRYTOWN, NY – AUGUST 11: Zach Collins #33 of the Portland Trail Blazers poses for a photo during the 2017 NBA Rookie Shoot on August 11, 2017 at the Madison Square Garden Training Center in Tarrytown, New York. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images)
TARRYTOWN, NY – AUGUST 11: Zach Collins #33 of the Portland Trail Blazers poses for a photo during the 2017 NBA Rookie Shoot on August 11, 2017 at the Madison Square Garden Training Center in Tarrytown, New York. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images) /

Worst NBA Draft: Portland Trail Blazers

This was a battle between a few teams for me, but I give the edge to Portland.

Portland came into the summer armed with zero cap space, really bad contracts on the wing and hardly any way of getting better in the offseason. Operating with no cap space, the only way for them to improve moving forward was with the THREE first round draft picks heading into the draft.

In a deep draft, this was the perfect situation for a team to use all three of their first rounders.

On draft night, Portland traded their 15th and 20th picks in the draft to move up to 10th to select big man, Zach Collins, out of Portland. Collins is a solid prospect, but giving up two picks to draft a player at the same position of Jusuf Nurkic was head scratching to me. Plus, they selected Collins over Malik Monk, Donovan Mitchell, and Luke Kennard.

Portland used their 26th pick on another big man in Caleb Swanigan.

If Portland used one of their three picks on a big man, while using the other two on players like Mitchell or Justin Jackson, then it would have been a solid draft.

Runner-Up: Denver Nuggets

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