NBA Draft 2017: Portland Trail Blazers trade up to get Zach Collins with tenth pick

With the tenth pick in the 2017 NBA Draft, the Portland Trail Blazers selected Gonzaga freshman center Zach Collins. Portland traded to get Collins by swapping the tenth pick with the Sacramento Kings for their No. 15 and No. 20 picks.

Collins becomes the second straight Gonzaga big man to be drafted in the lottery after Domantas Sabonis was drafted with the 11th pick last year. Collins also becomes the first one-and-done to come out of a Gonzaga program that sees their NBA footprint increase by the year. He joins Sabonis, Kelly Olynyk, and Kyle Wiltjer as Bulldog bigs in the league.

Collins played a crucial role off the bench for Gonzaga’s national runner-up team. He averaged 10 points per game in limited minutes, and accumulated nearly two blocks per contest as well.

Despite a limited role, Collins brings a lot of upside to the (team). He’s a skilled big that showed flashes of being able to stretch the floor, and proved that he can anchor a defense with his rim protection. His skill level should allow him to play both the four and five spots, depending on who he’s sharing the floor with. Look for him to make an impact immediately.