ThePortland Trail Blazers’ predraft workouts have picked up the pace with more high-end prospects starting to visit the team’s Tualatin practice facility. The Oregonian/OregonLive is producing mini profiles on most of the top prospects the Blazers could target in the 2025 NBA draft on June 25-26.
Prior posts: Forward Rasheer Flemming.
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Illinois | 6-8 | Small Forward | 19
Background: A five-star recruit out of Southwest Academy Prep in London, Ontario, Canada, Riley largely met expectations as a freshman despite mostly coming off the bench. He was named B1G 6th Man of the Year, making eight starts in 35 appearances. He set a program record for points scored by a freshman in an NCAA tournament game with 22 in a win over Xavier.
2025 NBA Draft Combine
Will Riley #takes part in the shooting drill during the 2025 NBA Draft Combine at Wintrust Arena on May 13, 2025 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)Getty Images
2024-25 statistics: Riley averaged 12.6 points, 4.1 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game, shooting 43.2% from the field and 32.6% from three-point range.
Mock drafts: Most have Riley going off the board in the 20s.
NBADraft.Net: No. 15, Oklahoma City Thunder.
Bleacher Report: No. 18, Washington Wizards.
The Ringer: No. 20, Miami Heat.
SBNation.com: No. 20, Miami Heat.
YahooSports.com: No. 21, Utah Jazz.
HoopsHype.com: No. 22, Atlanta Hawks.
USA Today: No. 24, Oklahoma City Thunder.
CBSSports.com: Second round.
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Strengths: Riley is regarded as a potential offensive force down the line, given his instincts and fearlessness at that end of the floor. He is credited for being a good passer with keen court vision and someone who moves well without the ball to get open. He’s savvy at getting to the basket and finishes well.
Weaknesses: Riley is still developing as a shooter, which is common for players his age. At 185 pounds, he must add size and strength to become an impactful defender in the NBA. But he has shown good awareness in that area.
His explosiveness is considered less than ideal.
Fit with Blazers: Riley would be a project who likely wouldn’t contribute to winning next season.
He is far too raw to be relied upon to provide quality minutes behind forwards Deni Avdija, Toumani Camara and Jerami Grant (should he remain on the roster) for a team seeking to reach the postseason.
Taking Riley would mean committing to a long-range development plan, hoping that he will grow into an impact player.