Portland’s lack of 2026 picks shouldn't deter a pursuit of Zuby Ejiofor. The high-energy St. John’s big offers defensive versatility and lob-threat potential to bolster frontcourt depth.
The Portland Trail Blazers currently do not own a pick in the 2026 NBA Draft after conveying their first-round selection to the Chicago Bulls and their second-round pick to the San Antonio Spurs. But that doesn’t mean Portland should be sitting this draft out entirely.
Teams move into the late first round and early second round all the time, and for a team still looking to build long-term depth and continue adding talent around its young core, this draft could still present opportunities worth exploring. As part of that process, BlazersRoundtable is profiling players Portland should consider targeting if the franchise decides to trade into the draft.
Today’s prospect is Zuby Ejiofor.
Ejiofor is an undersized frontcourt player at 6-foot-9, but he plays with tremendous versatility and energy. He’s truly known for his motor, physicality, toughness and all the different things he can do that impact winning.
His raw statistics aren’t necessarily going to jump off the page. He averaged just over 16 points, seven rebounds and 3.5 assists at St. John’s last season, which certainly isn’t unimpressive, but he’s also not projected to be a lottery pick for a reason. For starters, he’s a bit older than the average draft prospect and will be 22 on draft night.
But what’s important is that Ejiofor could help fill the void of Robert Williams III, whether that’s immediately if Williams walks in free agency this summer or longer term beyond whatever Williams’ next contract situation looks like if Portland keeps him around.
With his athleticism, ability to be a lob threat and defensive upside, Ejiofor has some of the same traits that make Williams valuable. They’re not identical players, but Ejiofor could absolutely fill some of that same void, which ended up being very important for Portland during its playoff run.
His 3-point jump shot is not as refined as Williams’ is right now, but Ejiofor could certainly continue working on that and get to that point. He’s also a really good passing big and could become a strong connective piece off the bench in the frontcourt.
That’s why Ejiofor would be a great target for the Blazers and certainly a player worth trading into the early part of the second round for if he’s still available there.