The Portland Trail Blazers hosted a private workout Friday with NBA Draft prospects Egor Demin, Derik Queen and Noah Penda, according to 1080TheFan’s Danny Marang.
While Portland’s pre-draft workout cycle has primarily featured second-rounders and G League candidates, Friday’s private workout was of a higher caliber, featuring multiple guys who the Trail Blazers could very well take with their No. 11 overall pick. In particular, Demin and Queen are projected lottery talents who have gained buzz as primary candidates to end up in Portland.
Demin is a 6-foot-8 freshman guard out of BYU renowned for his playmaking and feel out of the pick-and-roll, but he raises uncertainty with his shooting. During his freshman season, Demin averaged 10.6 points, 5.5 assists, 3.9 rebounds and 1.2 steals per game while shooting 41.2% from the field and 27.3% on 3-pointers. ESPN’s mock draft from Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo has the Blazers taking Demin with that No. 11 pick. Among five mock drafts throughout the media landscape (ESPN, Yahoo, The Athletic, Bleacher Report and the Ringer), Demin’s draft selection ranges from Nos. 11-19.
Queen, the 6-foot-10 freshman center from Maryland, is an undersized big with great craft and touch as an interior scorer. He’s also praised for his passing, rebounding and ball-handling, but athleticism/defensive worries cloud his upside. Queen averaged 16.5 points, 9.0 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 1.1 blocks and 1.1 steals per game at Maryland, while shooting 52.6% from the field and 20% from deep. Among the five mock drafts listed above, Queen’s draft selection ranges from Nos. 6-13.
Unlike the other two prospects at Friday’s workout, Penda isn’t projected to come off the board during the lottery. The 20-year-old, 6-foot-8 forward from France is tabbed as the ideal role player, showcasing defensive playmaking and switchability, competent passing, and a high IQ. The concerns about Penda’s game deal with his shotmaking and offensive upside. In 29 appearances this past season with Le Mans Sarthe Basket in France, Penda averaged 10.2 points, 5.1 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 1.4 steals and 26.9 minutes per game. He shot 44% from the field and 30.4% on 3s. In the media mock draft sampler, Penda’s draft selection ranges from Nos. 18-33.
The NBA Draft will take place on June 25-26.