National Basketball Association

Will Daniel Diez ever join the Trail Blazers?

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

foxsports

Dec 3, 2015; Portland, OR, USA; Portland Trail Blazers mascot

RCP’s writer from across the pond has an update on the Trail Blazers’ draft and stash prospect.

Daniel Diez was a highly touted European talent just a handful of years ago. As a 19 year old, he was named to the Adidas EuroCamp first team in 2012 alongside the Orlando Magic’s Evan Fournier. Throughout his time as a junior Diez was a star of the Spanish national team, having been featured on every roster from under 16 to under 20 between 2009 and 2013. In fact, while representing the under 20’s in their third place finish at the European Championships in 2013, Diez led the team in both scoring (18.7 points per game) and rebounds (8.8 per game).

As a star for his national team and with a roster spot on his home town Real Madrid – the most decorated club in La Liga Endesa ACB (Spain’s top league) history – the future looked bright for the young Spaniard. But Diez struggled to break into the Madrid rotation.

More from Rip City Project

A (second) loan spell with the much weaker ACB outfit, San Sebastian Gipuzkoa BC, in 2014-15 showed the youngster’s potential as he put up 12.6 PPG (on 55.7% from two and 42% from three) alongside 7.0 RPG in 29.7 minutes over 29 games. This could all be a case of good stats on a bad team, but nevertheless his performances earned him a player of the week award and three appearances in the weekly All-ACB Team. At the end of the season Diez found himself in the running for the young player of the season award with Mario Herzonja (now with the Orlando Magic) and Kristaps Porzingis (now with the New York Knicks)… Diez won the award.

That summer, out of contract with Real Madrid and shortly after being drafted, Diez inked a two year deal with Unicaja (another ACB team). Of course, it is not unusual to see European draft picks wait a while before joining the NBA. Honing their skill-sets and preparing their bodies for the NBA’s physicality. But Diez’s first year with Unicaja was not exactly what he’d hoped it would be.

A drop in minutes (17 MPG) limited his production to an unimpressive 5.0 PPG and 3.3 RPG. This would equate to 10.0 points and 6.7 rebounds per 36 minutes. But it’s worth noting that even in limited floor time, Diez was an efficient scorer. He connected on 58.8% of shots inside the arc, 40% from three, and 71.4% from the charity stripe.

Jan 8, 2015; Portland, OR, USA; Portland Trail Blazers president Chris McGowan (left), owner Paul Allen (center) and general manager Neil Olshey (right) watch the game against the Miami Heat during the second quarter at the Moda Center. Mandatory Credit: Craig Mitchelldyer-USA TODAY Sports

Potential & Limitations

For as much promise as Diez had early in his career, the odds of him having an impact in the NBA are still stacked against him. Scouting and Draft websites such as Draft Express, NBA Draft.net and even NBA.com all highlight similar weaknesses and limitations in his game.

Listed as tall as 6’8″ in sneakers, Diez has an incredibly short wingspan at just 6’5″ – not exactly a desirable trait in the current NBA. His athleticism and lateral speed are also considered weaknesses – three traits that should be a red flag for his defensive potential. But Diez has strong fundamentals, is touted as an energy and hustle player that can ignite a team. He has also received praise for his effort levels and his high IQ.

His highlight reels are less mind blowing and more a display of consistent shooting from the outside and finishing around the hoop. His style of play also seems to juxtapose with the modern NBA in that, even standing over 6’8″, Diez still plays below the rim. While he can finish with either hand and has a soft touch – how successful would he be against the bigger, more athletic opponents that the NBA would throw at him?

NBA.com’s prospects page compared Diez to another former Trail Blazer, Rudy Fernandez. Yes, he’s a Spanish Small Forward, but that’s probably where the similarities end and this comparison is far too simple for my liking. Fernandez is two inches shorter, but is both leaner and more athletic. In his three seasons with Portland, Fernandez averaged 9.1 PPG, 2.4 RPG, and 2.2 APG. Fernandez was also part of the same Real Madrid roster as Diez from 2012 to 2015, and a principal reason why the latter struggled to break into the rotation.

A Future Trail Blazer?

So here’s the big money question – will we ever see Diez in a Trail Blazers uniform? The answer is a difficult one. His contract is up next summer, but Portland will still have four small forwards under contract (barring any trade activity). And that’s not to say that if Diez re-signs somewhere else in Europe, that the Blazers couldn’t buy his contract out at some point down the road.

A cynic would project Diez’ ceiling in the NBA as a spot up shooter in a deep rotation. An optimist would point out that the pace and space style offense now prevalent around the league would play to his strengths. However given the depth and length of contracts Portland currently have at the position, it seems unlikely we will see Diez in Portland anytime soon.

That said, having already had Fernandez and Victor Claver as part of the franchise, Portland seems to have a thing for Spanish wings. Unless there is a significant trade involving the other forwards on the roster, I’m not convinced we will see Diez represent Rip City.

This article originally appeared on