The Portland Trail Blazers were one of the more pleasant surprises of the 2024-25 NBA season. A much-improved defense under head coach Chauncey Billups helped the team finish with a respectable 36 wins, earning them the 11th pick in the upcoming NBA Draft.
With a young core still early in the rebuild process, the Blazers have plenty of directions they could go. According to one analyst, the smartest bet might be to target a second-generation prospect with major upside.
Portland Trail Blazers Could Target Second-Generation Prospect?
The Trail Blazers roster is heading toward a period of tough decisions. Key players like Deandre Ayton, Anfernee Simons, Shaedon Sharpe and Robert Williams are entering the final years of their contracts.
Any one of those names could be traded, and with veterans like Jerami Grant also on the roster, the team could look very different in a short amount of time. One position that seems ripe for change is the guard spot.
That’s why Ricky O’Donnell of SB Nation, in his latest mock draft, has Portland selecting Jase Richardson out of Michigan State. The son of two-time NBA Slam Dunk champ Jason Richardson, he already has a reputation for being a better shooter than his dad was at the same age.
Thanks to his basketball upbringing, Richardson has a high IQ for the game. He is undersized at six feet tall but uses his wingspan to contribute defensively and finish in traffic.
As an off-the-ball scorer, Richardson would bring instant value to Portland’s rotation. The concern, however, is his injury history. O’Donnell pointed out that Richardson underwent a bone graft in his femur during high school.
Even with that red flag, the upside is hard to ignore. “Portland could easily cover Richardson on defense with monsters like Donovan Clingan and Toumani Camara on the floor,” O’Donnell noted.
Jase Richardson is a combo guard who has the ability to play on or off the ball at a high level in the NBA.
The Michigan State product is a very good shot-maker at all three levels. Silky smooth pull-up from the mid-range and behind the arc. Thrives as a spot-up shooter where he… pic.twitter.com/Mwr1mhhsuI
— Global Scouting (@GlobalScouting_) May 27, 2025
O’Donnell also highlighted Richardson’s ability to exploit defensive gaps, saying his knack for “finding soft spots in the opposing defense” could help unlock the Blazers’ offensive potential.
Still, not everyone agrees that Richardson should be picked at 11. The latest mock draft from PFSN, by Keenan Warner, has Portland selecting Egor Demin from BYU instead.
Demin offers a different profile entirely. At 6-foot-9, he’s one of the tallest guards in the draft and is known for his elite playmaking. But unlike Richardson, Demin’s jumper remains a question mark. He shot just 27.3 percent from three, which Warner believes could be the swing skill in his development.
“Whether he reaches his full potential will likely come down to whether he can develop an outside shot,” Warner wrote.
Even with that flaw, Demin’s size, ball-handling and strong defensive instincts make him a good fit for Portland’s team identity. With several capable shooters already on the roster, the Blazers may prioritize consistency and offensive control with each possession.
