Blazers Projected to Draft Skilled March Madness Star in 2025 NBA Draft
May 18, 2025 | 12:04 AM EDT
The Portland Trail Blazers exceeded expectations during the 2024–25 NBA season. Under head coach Chauncey Billups, the team had previously struggled to find consistency, eventually leading to Damian Lillard requesting a trade. But this past season, the Blazers showed progress, finishing 36–46—a 15-win improvement over the previous year—and staying in the Play-In hunt until late in the season, thanks in part to their young core of Deni Avdija, Toumani Camara, and Donovan Clingan.
To continue that upward trend, one NBA analyst believes Portland should add more talent to their frontcourt with the No. 11 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft.
Blazers Tied to March Madness Standout in Latest Mock Draft
Despite having a 16.9% chance of landing a top-four pick and 3.7% odds at the No. 1 selection, the Blazers slid to 11th in the lottery. Fortunately, this year’s deep draft pool still offers them strong options. ESPN’s Jonathan Givony projects Portland to pick Maryland’s Derik Queen, a freshman standout who impressed during the NCAA Tournament.
“Queen might be the most skilled big man in this class,” Givony wrote. “He thrives in the pick-and-roll, can create his own shot with a deep bag of moves, and has impressive passing instincts. Although his outside shooting is still developing—something that might not pair well with Portland’s existing perimeter struggles—his talent could be too enticing to pass up, especially if Clingan continues to improve his shooting.”
At 6-foot-10 and 246 pounds, Queen brings an NBA-ready frame, solid ball-handling for his size, and touch around the basket. He averaged 16.5 points and 9.0 rebounds on 56% shooting from two-point range as a freshman, and led Maryland in March Madness with 18.7 points per game.
While Queen’s jumper is still a work in progress, his youth and potential suggest further growth. Defensively, he holds his own well enough not to be a liability against quicker players.
Alternative Prediction: Blazers Take Versatile Guard
In a different projection, PFSN’s Sterling Xie has the Blazers going in another direction—selecting Illinois guard Kasparas Jakučionis at No. 11.
“Jakučionis stuffed the stat sheet, posting averages of 15.0 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 4.7 assists,” Xie noted. “While the 6’6″ guard had efficiency issues—especially from deep—his 84.5% free throw shooting indicates shooting upside.”
With Anfernee Simons possibly being traded and Scoot Henderson still refining his game, the Blazers could benefit from another playmaker in the backcourt. Despite some defensive weaknesses, Jakučionis could help address the team’s poor assist numbers—they ranked third-worst in the league this season.
In this scenario, Queen was already off the board, taken at No. 8 by the Brooklyn Nets.
“Queen’s draft stock has steadily climbed, and he now looks like a firm lottery selection,” Xie wrote. “His offensive game is polished and NBA-ready, even if his defense inside the paint remains a concern.”
MORE: Full 2025 NBA Mock Draft Following Surprise Lottery Shake-Up
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