Trail Blazers Work Out Overtime Elite's Amen and Ausar Thompson

TUALATIN, Ore. — If you're focused on what might happen with the No. 3 overall pick in next month's draft, the Trail Blazers' predraft workouts are slowly becoming more interesting.

The workouts to this point have consisted mainly of projected late first and second-round picks. Until Tuesday. The latest session saw both of Overtime Elite's twin brothers, Amen and Ausar Thompson, go through separate solo workouts in front of an audience that included Joe Cronin's entire front-office staff, Vulcan vice chair Bert Kolde, Blazers president of business operations Dewayne Hankins and, most notably, Damian Lillard.

"You definitely feel like you have to impress him," Amen said of Lillard's presence at the workout. "He's basically a part of the front office."

The league-wide consensus for months has been that, outside of sure-thing No. 1 pick Victor Wembanyama, there's a clear-cut second tier with the G League Ignite's Scoot Henderson and Alabama's Brandon Miller. You hear the phrase "three-player draft" used a lot talking to scouts, executives and analysts. That's why Portland jumping from fifth odds to third in the lottery was such a win — whether the Blazers keep or trade the pick, it's going to have significantly more value at No. 3 than it would at No. 4.

But the twins, both of whom opted to play in the Atlanta-based Overtime Elite professional league rather than play their freshman year in college, are right there. Amen and Ausar are currently projected at No. 4 and 5, respectively, by The Ringer. ESPN has Amen fourth and Ausar sixth. The Athletic has Amen fourth and Ausar eighth. SB Nation has Amen third and Ausar seventh. You get the idea.

"Everybody says there's a clear-cut top three," Ausar said. "I kind of feel like that's doing the draft a disservice. But at the same time, I feel like it's making a lot of underdogs. Nobody feels that way. I'm just trying to prove that it's not a top three. It's not only three, it's more. And if it is three, I'm that three."

How the draft order develops after the Spurs inevitably take Wembanyama first will be fascinating to watch develop. Neither Henderson nor Miller have worked out in Portland yet; that will presumably come in the next week or two. Henderson, if he's available at No. 3, would clearly be the most talented player on the board but as a point guard, his fit with Lillard is questionable.

Miller will have to reassure the Blazers, along with every other team he meets with, about his connection to a January killing in Tuscaloosa that saw one of his teammates charged with capital murder, and for which police say Miller brought the gun to the crime scene. (Miller was not charged with any crime.)

Lillard has made it known that he would prefer the Blazers trade the pick rather than keep it and take another young player, as they did last year selecting Shaedon Sharpe No. 7 overall. Cronin has signaled publicly that he hasn't ruled anything out in either direction.

Both of the Thompson twins feel they could play alongside Lillard if one of them is the choice.

"Dame's the point guard," Amen said. "I'd be in more of an off-ball role as a connective piece. Doing the little things, defending. I can be a secondary playmaker."

Both of them dodged the question of which one should go first.

"It's honestly interesting," Ausar said. "We're here with the Portland Trail Blazers together, but they're not going to get both of us. It's funny when you think of it like that. But I'm just coming here to work, and I know what he does. He's coming here to work. So I don't worry about it. I know he's good wherever he is."

"Before the draft, we'll do a little bet to see who goes first," Amen added. "But it's nothing too competitive. We'll both support each other. I'm fine if he goes first, he's fine if I go first."