The Portland Trailblazers were one of the more surprising teams of the 2024-25 season. Since Chauncey Billups took over as their head coach, the Trailblazers have struggled to put together quality seasons, eventually forcing Damian Lillard to demand a trade.
However, with a young core of Deni Avdija, Toumani Camara, and Donovan Clingan on the roster, Portland finished with a 36-46 record in the loaded Western Conference. This was a 15-game improvement from the previous season. They remained in the Play-In race until the final few weeks of the year.
But to take that next step forward, one analyst wants them to add some more frontcourt firepower with the No. 11 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft.
Blazers Projected To Select March Madness Hero in 2025 NBA Draft
The Blazers had a 16.9% chance to pick in the top four of the draft, with a 3.7% chance of landing the top spot. However, the shocking lottery results dropped them to No. 11 but with a deep draft class, all is not lost for Portland.
ESPN’s Jonathan Givony projected the Blazers to select the best available player with their No. 11 pick, and in his mock draft, they are selecting Maryland star Derik Queen.
“Queen is perhaps the most skilled big man in this class,” he wrote. “He is a terrific target in pick-and-roll, can create his own shot facing the basket with a wide array of moves, and has intriguing passing ability.
“Queen’s lack of shooting might not be an ideal fit on paper for a Portland team that already struggled from the perimeter, but his talent might be too big to pass on, especially if Clingan can make a jump with his shooting like he showed flashes of in small doses as a rookie.”
At 6’10” and 246 pounds, Queen has an NBA-ready body for a big, along with advanced handles and a soft touch around the rim. He averaged a team high 16.5 points and 9.0 rebounds per game, shooting 56% on 2-point field goal attempts, as a freshman at Maryland. He also led the scoring for Maryland in March Madness, recording 18.7 points per game.
Queen’s jumper may be in the early stages, but he is young and showing signs of development. He can at least move defensively, so he’s not a total mismatch on the perimeter against ball-handlers.
PFSN Predicts Blazers To Select an Athletic Guard
In PFSN’s latest NBA mock draft by Sterling Xie, the Blazers were predicted to select Kasparas Jakučionis out of Illinois with the No. 11 pick.
“Jakučionis filled up the stat sheet for the Illini, averaging 15.0 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 4.7 assists per game,” Xie wrote. “The 6’6″ combo guard was probably overstretched with his usage, which led to spates of turnovers and struggles from deep (31.8% from 3). However, he shot 84.5% from the free-throw line, suggesting the potential for better accuracy from deep over time.
“With Anfernee Simons potentially on the move and Scoot Henderson improving but still inefficient, the Blazers could use more of a table-setter in the backcourt to accentuate their pre-existing talent. Even with some defensive deficiencies, Jakučionis would be greatly helpful to a Portland team that had the third-lowest assist rate this season.”
Meanwhile, Queen was snapped early off the board at No. 8 by the Brooklyn Nets.
MORE: 2025 NBA Mock Draft Following Shocking Lottery Results
“Derik Queen has seen his stock rise throughout the pre-draft process, to the point where the Maryland big looks like a clear lottery pick,” Xie noted. “At 6’10” and 246 pounds, Queen has an NBA-ready body for any frontcourt, along with advanced handles and a soft touch around the rim.
“There are concerns about Queen’s interior defense, but his offense is ready to go. The freshman averaged 16.5 points and 9.0 rebounds per game, shooting 56% on 2-point field goal attempts.”
