THE NBA Draft has wrapped up, and the next crop of players at the top level are now fully entrenched in their respective teams as season approaches in the coming months.

In fact, with the Summer League taking place over the past few weeks, some of the brightest draftees have already begun making a name for themselves in the NBA, with a fair few catching the eye with dominant performances.

With some exposed form to work off, Rookie Me Central will be taking a look at how each side fared on draft night – one of the biggest events on the world basketball calendar.

We are into the final two articles of the series, today taking a look at the Minnesota Timberwolves and Portland Trail Blazers.

Minnesota Timberwolves

The Timberwolves entered the draft with one pick but left with two players, making moves on the night to add some young pieces to their roster, which will be key for improvement in the years to come.

First up, Minnesota traded for Leonard Miller, a guard who had been honing his craft as a member of G-League Ignite in the season prior. The Canada native clearly caught the eye of the Timberwolves recruiting staff during that campaign, enough so that the team made a draft night trade.

Miller is a power forward who stands an impressive six-foot-11, but has the skill to match it too. He can rebound, defend and handle the ball, while also doing all the dirty work, which is what every side is after.

The team’s second and final selection of the night saw the Timberwolves pick up Jaylen Clark out of UCLA with the 53rd pick. He is a combo guard, who announced himself as one of the best perimeter defenders in the draft class, making life extremely difficult for whoever he guards. Clark is also a gifted athlete, meaning he has an extremely strong foundation as a player.

Portland Trail Blazers

The Trail Blazers were one of the more exciting teams coming into the draft, and acquired a trio of highly skilled players with their three picks.

Portland’s selection at number three was a highly debated topic coming into the draft, given the amount of guard talent at the top of the pool and the talent the team already possesses in that position. However, the Trail Blazers still chose to pick up Scoot Henderson, who was far and away the best player available.

An unbelievably talented prospect, Henderson can do it all with ball in hand, hailing comparisons to Russell Westbrook, one of the game’s all time greats. He is one of the most exciting prospects for the upcoming season, and will give Portland fans plenty to look forward to.

With pick 23, the Trail Blazers snagged Kris Murray, a forward out of Iowa. Brother of current Sacramento King Keegan, Murray offers many of the same qualities. He is a solid contributor on both ends, offering plenty of impact across the court.

Offensively, he puts himself in plenty of scoring positions, relying on the vision of his teammates to find him in good spots, and defensively, Murray is versatile enough to slot into the NBA nicely.

With their third and final pick, the Trail Blazers drafted Rayan Rupert, who will be a familiar name for NBL fans. Rupert spent last season with the New Zealand Breakers in Australia’s premier basketball league, and showed exactly what he can offer as a player.

His seven-foot-three wingspan is his biggest strength, and opens up plenty of possibilities as a contributor on both ends. Although he may take some time to get going, his frame and the glimpses he showed at NBL level made him worth the gamble for Portland.