The Portland Trail Blazers used the 43rd pick in the second round of the 2023 NBA draft on Thursday to select French guard Rayan Rupert.
“Ton of potential,” Blazers general manager Joe Cronin said. “Really rangy. Long. Very defensive minded. Terrific worker. Terrific guy. Very, very high ceiling.”
Earlier in the draft, the Blazers selected point guard Scoot Henderson with the third overall pick. Later in the first round, the Blazers used the No. 23 pick to draft 6-foot-8 Iowa forward Kris Murray.
Although a guard, Rupert adds more size to the roster at 6-7 and is considered to be a quality defender. However, his offense needs work.
While playing for New Zealand last season, Rupert averaged 6.8 points while playing 18.1 minutes per game. He shot just 36.9% from the field and 31.3% on three-pointers.
— Aaron Fentress | afentress@Oregonian.com | @AaronJFentress (Twitter), @AaronJFentress (Instagram), @AaronFentress (Facebook). Subscribe to Oregonian/OregonLive newsletters and podcasts
