Trail Blazers general manager Joe Cronin has taken a few gambles that have already paid off for Portland's rebuild. He bet against the Milwaukee Bucks when he acquired their future draft capital in the blockbuster Damian Lillard deal. He also bet that Deni Avdija would become a rising star in the league, trading away draft capital, which is almost unheard of for a rebuilding team.
Portland's trades have helped shape its promising future outlook, but the most recent worthwhile gamble Cronin took came from the unconventional draft selection of Yang Hansen.
Yang Hansen could be Portland's missing star
One issue currently limiting the ceiling of Portland's rebuild is that they haven't necessarily hit any home runs in their draft picks despite having multiple attempts at the plate.