ESPN Senior NBA Writer Brian Windhorst hinted at the Cleveland Cavaliers having interest in the Portland Trail Blazers’ No. 23 pick in the 2023 NBA Draft during a Wednesday episode of “5 Good Minutes With Windy.”
“The pick I keep hearing about is 23 with Portland,” Windhorst said, via Game 7. “Where I have actionable intelligence is pick 23. The Cavs, from what I understand, have had a lot of talks with the Blazers, not just for the 23rd pick. I think they have some interest in Nassir Little, who was a forward who was injured for a lot of last year but has already signed his contract extension.
“I think the Cavs have liked him in the past. That’s a guy they have interest in so it may not even involve a pick. It may involve Nassir Little and a pick, or maybe nothing.”
Little, the former No. 25 selection in the 2019 NBA Draft, averaged 6.6 points, 2.6 rebounds and 0.9 assists per game for the Blazers last year. The four-year NBA veteran played in 54 games and started in four during the 2022-23 season. He was taken one pick before the Cavs selected forward Dylan Windler at 26 in the 2019 NBA Draft.
The 6-foot-5-inch forward agreed to a four-year, $28 million contract extension with the Blazers in 2022. He will have a $6.25 million cap hit during the 2023-24 season, according to Spotrac.
“Nassir is a talented player who has grown every year and has a very bright future,” Blazers General Manager Joe Cronin said in a 2022 release. “We are very excited that he chose to extend with us, and we look forward to continuing to see him shine on and off the court.”
ESPN’s most recent mock draft has the Trail Blazers selecting UCLA forward Jaime Jaquez Jr. with the 23rd pick. Bleacher Report’s mock draft had Iowa forward Kris Murray sliding down to Portland’s second selection in Thursday’s draft.