The Portland Trail Blazers held their second set of workouts for draft prospects on Monday with a batch featuring two players who could be targets with the No. 23 pick.
Headlining the six players who visited the Blazers were Andre Jackson Jr. out of Connecticut and Colby Jones out of Xavier.
Also working out were Toumani Camara (Dayton), Tristan Da Silva (Colorado), DaRon Holmes (Dayton) and Nadir Hifi (Le Portel). Each could be targeted with the Blazers’ second-round pick.
The NBA draft will be held on June 22. The Blazers have the No. 3 pick in the draft but have been shopping that pick to acquire a veteran star to pair with Damian Lillard.
Jones, 21, a 6-foot-6 guard, averaged 15 points, 5.7 rebounds and 4.4 assists last season. He shot 50.9% from the field and 37.8% on threes, a huge improvement over his 29.2% the season before.
Jackson has point guard abilities but is regarded as a better fit at shooting guard in the NBA. He is not considered to be a plus-athlete, but he has excellent shooting skills from all over the court.
Jones said one of his best traits is his motor.
“I feel like I make a lot of hustle plays,” he said.
That trait fit in well with Monday’s workouts, which Jones called high in energy. The Blazers routinely emphasize identifying players who work hard and play with enthusiasm.
Jones said that fits his style.
“I love playing this game,” he said. “I mean, it’s a great game to play. I’m just blessed to be able to play it.”
Andre Jackson, out of Connecticut, worked out for the Trail Blazers on Monday, May 22 at the team’s facility in Tualatin, Oregon.
The 6-6 Jackson, 21, helped UConn win the 2023 NCAA men’s basketball national championship by averaging 6.7 points, 6.2 rebounds and 4.7 assists per game.
Jackson is regarded as a potential plus defender in the NBA because of his athleticism and strong instincts. The main question mark is his shooting. He hit just 28.1% of his threes last season.
In many ways, Jackson is a similar prospect to Blazers forward Nassir Little when he came out of North Carolina in 2019.
Jackson said he approached his workout with the goal of showing what he could bring to a winning team.
“Defense, communicate on the court,” he said. “Show people what I can do, like making my presence felt. Whether that’s with my energy or with my play.”
Jackson said he previously worked out for Boston, Brooklyn and Indiana prior to last week’s NBA combine in Chicago.
“I definitely think it went the best out of all of them,” Jackson said.
The Blazers’ hopes of adding veteran talent around Lilllard could mean trading the No. 23 pick. Should they keep the pick and select Jackson, he said he could see himself contributing as a rookie.
“I believe so, but I understand that when you step into this environment, you got to be ready to compete every single day and prove that to the coaching staff,” he said. “My skillset on the defensive end, rebounding, being an all-around team guy, a very selfless guy, bringing energy to practice and bringing energy to the gym every day. Being a worker, I think I could definitely see myself on the court next year making an impact.”
Jackson said going through the NCAA Tournament helped him grow mentally as a player.
“It was all about staying composed, not letting the moment be too big and not letting it hold too much weight,” he said. “Always trying to stay present and stay in the moment and not let some of the distractions that can come around get to you.”
Jackson said that his most NBA-ready skills include rebounding, passing, setting screens, boxing out, guarding the ball, rotating well on defense and making smart plays with the ball to set up others for shots or assists.
The Blazers are expected to hold another draft workout later this week.
— Aaron Fentress | afentress@Oregonian.com | @AaronJFentress (Twitter), @AaronJFentress (Instagram), @AaronFentress (Facebook). Subscribe to Oregonian/OregonLive newsletters and podcasts
