2025 Blazer Draft Prospects

[DusterBuster]

I think I'm leaning toward wanting Carter Bryant tbh. Feels like a guy who's going to be a can't miss NBA caliber player from Day 1. I like guys who you know you can put out on the floor day one, it's easier for them to go from that to starter or better quality than a guy who's super raw and has to go from raw to NBA caliber, THEN has to also go from there to starter or better.

That said, I won't be upset with Denim or really anyone else. At 11, just don't pick a bust, that's all I ask.

[Wizenheimer]

That said, I won't be upset with Denim or really anyone else. At 11, just don't pick a bust, that's all I ask.

hmmmm...

#11 --> Portland's on the clock --> the pick is in --> Portland selects Meyers Leonard!

[Chanse503]

That said, I won't be upset with Denim or really anyone else. At 11, just don't pick a bust, that's all I ask.

hmmmm...

#11 --> Portland's on the clock --> the pick is in --> Portland selects Meyers Leonard!

WILD that that draft was 13 years ago - I’m convinced, the older I get- the faster time goes by.

[Case2012]

Check out how Coward scores in this game. 3 level scorer.

Watch on YouTube

;ab_channel=LeagueHim
His improvement areas are creation but he knows the places to be, he fights for spots and recognizes the right play. He's always moving trying to position himself for a rebound, a slash, an open 3 etc. He scored 75% of his last 150 shots at the rim and then look at the shooting... Have you ever seen Shaedon score like this? Back someone down and bully them? He's got alpha scorer written all over him.


I still don't get the love for Bryant, it's Zach Collins all over again from the wing imo. You draft him and hope and dream he becomes as good as Clifford or Coward.

[Case2012]

Watch on YouTube

;t=2s&ab_channel=HardwoodHoopsCentral%27sNBADraftGreenRoom

2 hours of Coward. I'm not gonna stop lobbying for him, he's the guy at 11.

Watch on YouTube

;ab_channel=NoCeilingsNBA

This is the best breakdown i've seen of him, not the one i posted earlier.

If i make my case over and over, Mike is gonna notice and realize I'm right!!

[JRoy]

Pretty solid video. More aware and aggressive than SS.

[Wizenheimer]

That said, I won't be upset with Denim or really anyone else. At 11, just don't pick a bust, that's all I ask.

hmmmm...

#11 --> Portland's on the clock --> the pick is in --> Portland selects Meyers Leonard!

WILD that that draft was 13 years ago - I’m convinced, the older I get- the faster time goes by.

it's the perspective on a year

* when you're 8 years old a year is 1/8th of your life and seems forever

* when you're 40 years old a year is 1/40th of your life, but if you're married a year can seem like a life sentence

* when you're 70 years old a year is 1/70th of your life and would seem like it flies by, but you can't remember if it did; a boner is a pleasant surprise though

[oldfishermen]

I am having a difficult time rationalizing the constent reports of Demin love by the Blazer's FO.

Demin is a PG, period. If the plan is to play Demin minutes @ SF/wing, it will create a huge missmatch, but not in Portlands favor.

The SF/wing needs to be a good defender, scorer, and shooter to make a positive impact. All 3 skills are Demin's weaknesses. A disaster!

So what plan for Demin would work? I see 2 possibilities.

1) Cronin has a secret trade in the works to move Scoot. I find it hard to believe Cronin has given up on Scoot, despite Scoots slower than desired development. PGs take more time to develop than most other positions.

2) Demin will be the backup PG, running the second unit. As time goes on, Demin and Scoot will compete for the starting PG spot, and bulk of the minutes.

The second is probably the most likely, but that is only my wild guess.

[Walton1one]

Read on Twitter

Pretty good measurements for a wing

[Walton1one]

Spoiler:

Check out how Coward scores in this game. 3 level scorer.

Watch on YouTube

;ab_channel=LeagueHim
His improvement areas are creation but he knows the places to be, he fights for spots and recognizes the right play. He's always moving trying to position himself for a rebound, a slash, an open 3 etc. He scored 75% of his last 150 shots at the rim and then look at the shooting... Have you ever seen Shaedon score like this? Back someone down and bully them? He's got alpha scorer written all over him.

I still don't get the love for Bryant, it's Zach Collins all over again from the wing imo. You draft him and hope and dream he becomes as good as Clifford or Coward.

Clifford & Coward are as much or bigger risks than Bryant will be. Bryant is also a little bigger than both of them and has a clear skill (defense) that he can hang his hat on.

Clifford has a nice college resume, good positional size and bball IQ, but ultimately his shot is his swing skill to determine if he is a starter\bench quality player, he is nearly 4 years older than Bryant

Coward has great athletic measurements, limited data on good stats (especially vs good competition) and is quite literally a wildcard, looks the part, but can he play the part against NBA level talent? Also, 3 years older than Bryant

Bryant: H 6'6.5 - WS 6'11.75 - SR - 8'10 - #214.8 - AGE 19 (turns 20 in Nov)
Clifford: H 6'5.25 - WS 6'8 - SR - 8'6.5 - #202 - AGE 23 (turns 24 in Feb)
Coward: H 6'5.25 - WS 7'2.25 - SR - 8'10 - #213 - AGE 21 (turns 22 in Sept)

[HoopsFanAZ]

IMHO …
1. 3 veteran starters would be better elsewhere or I’d prefer they become backups … the usual suspects.
2. Clingan, Deni, Toumani, Sharpe, and Scoot ALL should continue to improve as starters.
3. No one drafted at 11 will start right away — or maybe even eventually beat out 1 of the 5 young guys.
4. I look forward to one of 4 or 5 guys who will be at 11 as a Blazer. A good piece to add and maybe a lot more.

I love the draft.

[I wanted Salaun AND C Williams last year — I was wrong and getting Clingan and Deni was excellent.]

Yes, Demin looks most effective as a PG. The Blazers have no back-up PG who I like … so they don’t have one.
[Jaku or Demin is an improvement.] Jaku seems like he can fit at both guard spots.
Coward and Bryant should be able to (with positional size) play 2 positions — SG/SF and SF/PF — as they mature.
Essengue is harder for me to pin down.

Others prefer the PFs or PF/Cs at 11. Not me. We have our preferences.

Ayton and TimeLord don’t seem like reliable or feasible options as back-up centers. Reath is on the shorter side and not that good at D … seeming like a 3rd string or wrinkle kind of guy shooting away. So there isn’t a back-up center (or reasonable back-up PF/C) BUT at 16?

The current back-up 2-3-4 forwards (Thybulle, Walker, Murray) aren’t good enough for a real playoff team. Not yet. I prefer them to the don’t like ‘em trio of Ant/Grant/Ayton moving forward.

[Sorry about the long posts as I think though this weird situation.]

[Tim Lehrbach]

Been doing a little more reading and viewing the past couple nights. No time for deep dives, but Traore and Coward have my attention. Would be kinda excited if they became our new backcourt and we packaged Scoot and Sharpe for something good.

[DusterBuster]

That said, I won't be upset with Denim or really anyone else. At 11, just don't pick a bust, that's all I ask.

hmmmm...

#11 --> Portland's on the clock --> the pick is in --> Portland selects Meyers Leonard!

As I said, just don't give me a bust... lol

[Tim Lehrbach]

Been doing a little more reading and viewing the past couple nights. No time for deep dives, but Traore and Coward have my attention. Would be kinda excited if they became our new backcourt and we packaged Scoot and Sharpe for something good.

I'm kinda running with the optimism here. I've been down on this draft and on our roster/assets, but could this be a huge summer?

Let's assume our frontcourt is set: Clingan, Deni, Camara, whichever backups we keep.

I want a new backcourt. Maybe this draft has it? We'd need another top-20 pick.

Portland could come away with one of each:
PG - Jakucionis, Traore, Demin, Clayton
SG - Coward, Clifford, Riley, McNeeley, Gonzalez, Powell

Then we move Scoot and/or Sharpe, expirings, and maybe a future pick or two for whatever star shakes loose and wouldn't hate being traded to Portland?

What could that off-season look like?

[BlazersBroncos]

Been doing a little more reading and viewing the past couple nights. No time for deep dives, but Traore and Coward have my attention. Would be kinda excited if they became our new backcourt and we packaged Scoot and Sharpe for something good.

I'm kinda running with the optimism here. I've been down on this draft and on our roster/assets, but could this be a huge summer?

Let's assume our frontcourt is set: Clingan, Deni, Camara, whichever backups we keep.

I want a new backcourt. Maybe this draft has it? We'd need another top-20 pick.

Portland could come away with one of each:
PG - Jakucionis, Traore, Demin, Clayton
SG - Coward, Clifford, Riley, McNeeley, Gonzalez, Powell

Then we move Scoot and/or Sharpe, expirings, and maybe a future pick or two for whatever star shakes loose and wouldn't hate being traded to Portland?

What could that off-season look like?

It’s just so unlikely that we trade one or both of those guys that putting time into the thought exercise is sorta silly (albeit everything we do here is sorta silly). I also don’t think either have more than 12-18 pick type value.

Think the backcourt is the spot to invest though. Also would like a long term C that compliments Donovan.

I still see Noa as the wildcard bc his potential to be a needle mover is high enough that I would just say ‘screw concentrating on the backcourt’. I dont see that upside w/ a Carter Bryant who to me flashes as a guy that might become as good as Camara right before he is due to be paid.

Hedging on guard talent is the route to take unless you ID a guy (Noa to me here) that you see as a potential franchise altering talent. Something like this trade could do alot for us IMO -

PDX OUT - Ayton + Simons + Reath + 11
PDX IN - Vucevic + KCP + JI + Carter + 15 + 16 + 24

OKC OUT - Dieng + 15 + 24 + 42
OKC IN - 11

ORL OUT - KCP + JI + Howard + 16
ORL IN - Simons + Reath

CHI OUT - Vucevic + Carter
CHI IN - Ayton + Dieng + Howard + 42

DRAFT
15 - Cedric Coward GF
16 - Nolan Traore PG
24 - Rasheer Fleming C

PG - Scoot Henderson / Chris Paul (MLE) / Nolan Traore
SG - Shadeon Sharpe / Kentavious Caldwell-Pope / Cedric Coward
SF - Toumani Camara / Matisse Thybulle / Rayan Rupert
PF - Deni Avdija / Jerami Grant / Jonathan Isaac
C - Donovan Clingan / Nikola Vucevic / Rasheer Fleming

We are clearly trying to win, but we hedge Scoot / Sharpe development with Coward / Traore. Vucevic helps with shooting for a year and then walks as Fleming takes over the small-ball-floor-stretching backup C role. Paul is charmed by Billups into signing for a year or two as a mentor to the guard prospects (And by all advanced metrics probably the best backup PG in the league still). KCP + MT + Grant are really solid bench guys and JI for 12-15mpg is overpaid but fits the defensive identity well.

A few steps up for the started in terms of development and your looking like a PO team IMO - elite bench and a stable of youth to step into roles (Or push for starting spots) once the bench guys start to expire.

(OKC consolidates and opens a roster spot / CHI gets a lob threat for Giddey + 2 swings on former lotto picks / ORL gets their scoring guard and sheds long term salary) *** Jevon Carter bought out ***

[Tim Lehrbach]

It’s just so unlikely that we trade one or both of those guys that putting time into the thought exercise is sorta silly (albeit everything we do here is sorta silly). I also don’t think either have more than 12-18 pick type value.

I mean, you're right lol. It's not happening and not worth expending a ton of effort.

So I've outsourced it to the trade board.

[Walton1one]

I just can't see trading away Scoot & Sharpe yet, both are really young (21 & 22), both were high\pretty high lottery picks, these are the kinds of deals that end up kicking you in the teeth b\c chances are they will not be the same player at 24/25 that they are now, and more than likely they will both be better, maybe much better.

Do you think WAS regrets dealing Avdija right now? Maybe not, but I sure would if I were them, or at least not getting more for him. Avdiaj turned 24 LY and started to ascend the year before that (age 23) with WAS that is 1 year & 2 years before Sharpe\Scoot hit that age.


They trade away a guy like Simons (age 26) chances are you are not going to regret it, he is what he is at this point, the chances of him suddenly becoming more than he is right now are slim.

Not to mention the whole tried to build around Dame but took Sharpe then Scoot (at the same position!) then had to trade Dame away narrative looks pretty ridiculous. Unless they are what, building around Simons? lol, good luck with that..

Cronin can lie with the best of them, but love to see him spin that scenario, not to mention what the next owner thinks (especially if Scoot blows up and POR stagnates, both very likely IMO).

[Tim Lehrbach]

PDX OUT - Ayton + Simons + Reath + 11
PDX IN - Vucevic + KCP + JI + Carter + 15 + 16 + 24

OKC OUT - Dieng + 15 + 24 + 42
OKC IN - 11

ORL OUT - KCP + JI + Howard + 16
ORL IN - Simons + Reath

CHI OUT - Vucevic + Carter
CHI IN - Ayton + Dieng + Howard + 42

DRAFT
15 - Cedric Coward GF
16 - Nolan Traore PG
24 - Rasheer Fleming C

PG - Scoot Henderson / Chris Paul (MLE) / Nolan Traore
SG - Shadeon Sharpe / Kentavious Caldwell-Pope / Cedric Coward
SF - Toumani Camara / Matisse Thybulle / Rayan Rupert
PF - Deni Avdija / Jerami Grant / Jonathan Isaac
C - Donovan Clingan / Nikola Vucevic / Rasheer Fleming

I do not believe Fleming is an NBA player, but otherwise I LOVE this. Just don't think Orlando plays along.

[Tim Lehrbach]

I just can't see trading away Scoot & Sharpe yet, both are really young (21 & 22), both were high\pretty high lottery picks, these are the kinds of deals that end up kicking you in the teeth b\c chances are they will not be the same player at 24/25 that they are now, and more than likely they will both be better, maybe much better.

Do you think WAS regrets dealing Avdija right now? Maybe not, but I sure would if I were them, or at least not getting more for him. Avdiaj turned 24 LY and started to ascend the year before that (age 23) with WAS that is 1 year & 2 years before Sharpe\Scoot hit that age.


They trade away a guy like Simons (age 26) chances are you are not going to regret it, he is what he is at this point, the chances of him suddenly becoming more than he is right now are slim.

Not to mention the whole tried to build around Dame but took Sharpe then Scoot (at the same position!) then had to trade Dame away narrative looks pretty ridiculous. Unless they are what, building around Simons? lol, good luck with that..

Cronin can lie with the best of them, but love to see him spin that scenario, not to mention what the next owner thinks (especially if Scoot blows up and POR stagnates, both very likely IMO).

Yeah, I know it's a dumb exercise. Just some idle thoughts.

[Walton1one]

I just can't see trading away Scoot & Sharpe yet, both are really young (21 & 22), both were high\pretty high lottery picks, these are the kinds of deals that end up kicking you in the teeth b\c chances are they will not be the same player at 24/25 that they are now, and more than likely they will both be better, maybe much better.

Do you think WAS regrets dealing Avdija right now? Maybe not, but I sure would if I were them, or at least not getting more for him. Avdiaj turned 24 LY and started to ascend the year before that (age 23) with WAS that is 1 year & 2 years before Sharpe\Scoot hit that age.


They trade away a guy like Simons (age 26) chances are you are not going to regret it, he is what he is at this point, the chances of him suddenly becoming more than he is right now are slim.

Not to mention the whole tried to build around Dame but took Sharpe then Scoot (at the same position!) then had to trade Dame away narrative looks pretty ridiculous. Unless they are what, building around Simons? lol, good luck with that..

Cronin can lie with the best of them, but love to see him spin that scenario, not to mention what the next owner thinks (especially if Scoot blows up and POR stagnates, both very likely IMO).

Yeah, I know it's a dumb exercise. Just some idle thoughts.

All exercises are good

Who knows, they could totally trade away Scoot and POR may\not relive the Jermaine O'Neal for Dale Davis experiment except in this case it won't be trading away a young guy to make it further in the playoffs, it will be trading away a young guy to hopefully make the playin\playoffs, which is....yeah...much worse