ThePortland Trail Blazers’ predraft workouts are winding down ahead of the June 25-26 NBA draft. The Oregonian/OregonLive has been producing mini profiles on most of the top prospects the Blazers could target with the No. 11 pick.
Prior individual posts: Michigan Stage guard Jase Richardson; Georgia forward Asa Newell; Connecticut forward Liam McNeeley; Illinois forward Will Riley; Saint Joseph’s forward Rasheer Fleming.
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Maryland | 6-10 | Power Forward/Center | 20
Background: Queen, who worked out for the Blazers on Friday, was a five-star recruit in 2024 out of Montverde Academy in Baltimore, Maryland.
2024-25 statistics: Queen averaged 16.5 points, 9.0 rebounds and 1.9 assists during his freshman season. He was named B1G freshman of the year and an honorable mention All-American.
Mock drafts: Queen has moved up significantly in some mock drafts. The Ringer bumped him up from No. 11 a month ago to No. 6.
The Ringer: No. 6, Washington Wizards.
NBADraft.Net: No. 11, Blazers.
USA Today: No. 11, Blazers.
CBSSports.com: No. 12, Chicago Bulls.
SBNation.com: No. 12, Chicago Bulls.
Bleacher Report: No. 13, Atlanta Hawks.
YahooSports.com: No. 13, Atlanta Hawks.
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Strengths: Queen uses his soft touch to score inside in various ways and might be the best scoring big in the draft. He also passes well and unselfishly, finding shooters and cutters. At 248 pounds, Queen projects the ability to force his way into NBA lanes right away.
APTOPIX NCAA Colorado St Maryland Basketball
Maryland center Derik Queen, second from left, shoots the game-winning basket against Colorado State guard Ethan Morton (25) during the second half in the second round of the NCAA college basketball tournament, Sunday, March 23, 2025, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Ryan Sun)AP
Weaknesses: Queen didn’t show well during athletic testing at the NBA combine, further lowering his floor defensively. His three-point shooting is weak. He shot just 20% from that range last season. However, reports show that he possesses a shooting stroke that could lead to rapid improvement in that area.
Team fit: Should Deandre Ayton return, the Blazers absolutely do not need a player of Queen’s skillset. Ayton is a polished scorer who can disappear on defense. However, if the Blazers trade Ayton or let him walk next summer, having a player like Queen in the system could help mitigate the loss of Ayton’s scoring punch.
Queen could fit well in a rotation with defensive-minded center Donovan Clingan.
-- Aaron Fentress | afentress@Oregonian.com | @AaronJFentress (Twitter), @AaronJFentress (Instagram), @AaronFentress (Facebook)