Part of what makes the Portland Trail Blazers' rebuild so exciting is that there's not one clear-cut direction they should take this roster. There's so much uncertainty heading into Portland's offseason, making it more difficult to predict who they'll select in the 2025 NBA Draft.
They could decide to trade the pick for a more established player or even trade away key veterans for more first-round picks. Additionally, who they choose to draft will tell us a lot about who they view as a long-term piece.
They entered the season with expectations of being in the Cooper Flagg sweepstakes and have suddenly found themselves just three games out of the Play-In Tournament. Portland is continuing to gain more clarity behind what they have with their young roster, which will go a long way towards each decision they have to make in what is shaping up to be a pivotal offseason for the trajectory of their rebuild.
Trail Blazers 2025 NBA Mock Draft Roundup
ESPN: Egor Demin, BYU
Egor Demin is a polarizing prospect as a bit of an unpolished player. Still, his upside should keep him inside the lottery. It's easy to see how a team would be excited about adding a 6-foot-9 combo guard -- perhaps the best playmaker in the entire class -- to their roster.
The Blazers are already the tallest team in the league and could become even more versatile on the defensive end if they add Demin. He would address their playmaking woes while bolstering their strengths and team identity.
The fact that he can play multiple positions would provide insurance for Scoot Henderson and Shaedon Sharpe should one of them not pan out as expected. But more importantly, he could come off the bench and spell either guard. That would also make it easier for Portland to move off of Anfernee Simons, who the Blazers will have to make an essential decision on with his contract set to expire next season.
Bleacher Report: Kon Knueppel, Duke
Bleacher Report's Jonathan Wasserman has the Blazers addressing arguably their most significant offseason need of shooting with the selection of Kon Knueppel. Knueppel isn't an exciting pick in terms of ceiling, but he still deserves to land in the lottery, given what a premium shooting is in today's NBA.
"Teams may have a tough time buying a shot-creator, which limits possibilities when it comes to upside. He figures to wind up with a team that's looking to fill a need or hole with shooting, high-IQ play, and instant results," Wasserman writes.
That accurately describes Portland's situation entering the summer as they look to add pieces to complement their young core. His shooting would help unlock the games of Henderson, Sharpe, and Deni Avdija, who all like to attack the paint. And his high basketball IQ and secondary playmaking ability would do wonders for a Blazers team that needs more overall ball movement.
If the Blazers want to take the safe route, there's arguably no higher floor than Knueppel.
Sports Illustrated: Derik Queen, Maryland
The Blazers select... another big man? This pick actually makes a lot more sense than many might think. At first glance, center is the last position the Blazers' roster needs more of. They questionably decided not to address their logjam at the deadline, keeping four centers still on the team. But their roster remains in flux, and Donovan Clingan could very well be the other center that remains a long-term piece.
Deandre Ayton is the highest-paid player on the team and has an expiring contract next season. Duop Reath doesn't play a significant enough role to justify keeping around. And who knows what will happen with Robert Williams III.
Given Clingan's conditioning level and Williams' injury history, adding another frontcourt piece into the mix wouldn't be the worst thing. Derik Queen could also play power forward minutes alongside Clingan, given his unique ability as a ballhandler, playmaker, and improving shooter. The one knock on Queen as a prospect is his rim protection, which would also be mitigated by Clingan's presence.
He's not a perfect fit by any means, but if the Blazers want to continue shooting for upside, Queen's versatility as a big man should inspire confidence in his ability to make it work.