2025 Blazer Draft Prospects

[BlazersBroncos]

I am starting to like the idea of hedging on shooting.

If Kasparas continues to fall take him 11 (I like the hedge here too on Scoot and Sharpe - ideally they both pan out and Kasparas can be our high minute 1st guard off the bench but development depending he could also slide into PG or SG if they dont continue to take steps).

Then trade Simons for X + pick (I like Simons + RWIII for KCP + JI + 16) and take Coward (Who I believe can play SF - he is the same size as Leonard coming out) - simply keep DA around and let him expire (Think trading him is a pipe dream) - this wouldnt be unreasonable for 25/26 -

G - Scoot Henderson / Kasparas Jakucionis
G - Shadeon Sharpe / Kentavious Caldwell-Pope / Kasparas Jakucionis
F - Toumani Camara / Matisse Thybulle / Cedric Coward
F - Deni Avdija / Jerami Grant / Jonathan Isaac
C - DeAndre Ayton / Donovan Clingan / Jonathan Isaac

[Walton1one]

I like the first part, not sold on the second part, trading Simons (yes), to ORL (yes), getting KCP & #16 back + whatever (yes), taking Coward @ #16 (no), not a believer in Coward yet

[BlazersBroncos]

I get that, he has alot of outcome variance. Just think its a swing worth taking at 16. Most higher upside guys will be gone (IMO Noa goes Top-8, Bryant by end of lotto, not high on Fleming outside a bench stretch big, Nique is pretty maxed out IMO, etc).

Think Coward despite his age has a big variance outcome with the higher end being better than most guys available 16.

[zzaj]

I am starting to like the idea of hedging on shooting.

If Kasparas continues to fall take him 11 (I like the hedge here too on Scoot and Sharpe - ideally they both pan out and Kasparas can be our high minute 1st guard off the bench but development depending he could also slide into PG or SG if they dont continue to take steps).

Then trade Simons for X + pick (I like Simons + RWIII for KCP + JI + 16) and take Coward (Who I believe can play SF - he is the same size as Leonard coming out) - simply keep DA around and let him expire (Think trading him is a pipe dream) - this wouldnt be unreasonable for 25/26 -

G - Scoot Henderson / Kasparas Jakucionis
G - Shadeon Sharpe / Kentavious Caldwell-Pope / Kasparas Jakucionis
F - Toumani Camara / Matisse Thybulle / Cedric Coward
F - Deni Avdija / Jerami Grant / Jonathan Isaac
C - DeAndre Ayton / Donovan Clingan / Jonathan Isaac

I think that the Blazers would have to be pretty ecstatic with this outcome. I think they would rather have Demin than KJ playing that point/forward role, but I agree that shooting at some point has to start being addressed.

As for Coward, I think the Blazers whether they want to admit it or not, are still in a place as a franchise where they need to gamble on upside. Certainly, guys like Clifford are more polished now and would probably be more steady as a backup, but the upside isn't quite as high with a lot of them.

This draft is going to be REALLY interesting starting with the 3rd pick. At the end of the day, I think Fears, Maluach, Queen and CMB are all going to slip.

[BlazersBroncos]

I am starting to like the idea of hedging on shooting.

If Kasparas continues to fall take him 11 (I like the hedge here too on Scoot and Sharpe - ideally they both pan out and Kasparas can be our high minute 1st guard off the bench but development depending he could also slide into PG or SG if they dont continue to take steps).

Then trade Simons for X + pick (I like Simons + RWIII for KCP + JI + 16) and take Coward (Who I believe can play SF - he is the same size as Leonard coming out) - simply keep DA around and let him expire (Think trading him is a pipe dream) - this wouldnt be unreasonable for 25/26 -

G - Scoot Henderson / Kasparas Jakucionis
G - Shadeon Sharpe / Kentavious Caldwell-Pope / Kasparas Jakucionis
F - Toumani Camara / Matisse Thybulle / Cedric Coward
F - Deni Avdija / Jerami Grant / Jonathan Isaac
C - DeAndre Ayton / Donovan Clingan / Jonathan Isaac

I think that the Blazers would have to be pretty ecstatic with this outcome. I think they would rather have Demin than KJ playing that point/forward role, but I agree that shooting at some point has to start being addressed.

As for Coward, I think the Blazers whether they want to admit it or not, are still in a place as a franchise where they need to gamble on upside. Certainly, guys like Clifford are more polished now and would probably be more steady as a backup, but the upside isn't quite as high with a lot of them.

This draft is going to be REALLY interesting starting with the 3rd pick. At the end of the day, I think Fears, Maluach, Queen and CMB are all going to slip.

Agreed re Demin - where there is smoke there has turned out to be fire regarding draft rumors and Schmitz. I think a variable that most teams dont have is we have a guy in Camara who can defend the PG spot - I think Demin is clearly too foot slow to guard PG - he should be sliding down a slot to guard SG or SF. But most teams dont have a guy that can slide up like Camara. That makes the negatives of Demin on defense a bit less prohibitive IMO. I have said it before but I strongly disagree w/ the Giddey comparisons. Josh has that innate ability to get to his spots using his size (216lbs and wide framed vs Demin at under 200 and slight shoulders), stop/start motion, hesitations - he just has a poor mans Luka ability to get to 'his spots' IMO.

Demin to me is much closer to a higher upside Marko Jaric. I really dont see a huge upside to him scoring the ball, but think he can be a unique utility player. Something like 13 / 5 / 5 with decent shooting splits would be my ceiling - but the size he brings and the potential for jumbo lineups is a unique puzzle piece that makes that modest stat line a bit more impactful than it seems IMO.

[dckingsfan]

I am out on Demin, his floor is too low and his ceiling isn't all that compared to many of the other players that will be available at 11.

Kasparas, Bryant or Essengue (although the way he has been playing, he is probably out of our reach now).

Case's post: viewtopic.php?p=118826370#p118826370 to me is the way to go. Just run it back and let the contracts expire.

[zzaj]

I am starting to like the idea of hedging on shooting.

If Kasparas continues to fall take him 11 (I like the hedge here too on Scoot and Sharpe - ideally they both pan out and Kasparas can be our high minute 1st guard off the bench but development depending he could also slide into PG or SG if they dont continue to take steps).

Then trade Simons for X + pick (I like Simons + RWIII for KCP + JI + 16) and take Coward (Who I believe can play SF - he is the same size as Leonard coming out) - simply keep DA around and let him expire (Think trading him is a pipe dream) - this wouldnt be unreasonable for 25/26 -

G - Scoot Henderson / Kasparas Jakucionis
G - Shadeon Sharpe / Kentavious Caldwell-Pope / Kasparas Jakucionis
F - Toumani Camara / Matisse Thybulle / Cedric Coward
F - Deni Avdija / Jerami Grant / Jonathan Isaac
C - DeAndre Ayton / Donovan Clingan / Jonathan Isaac

I think that the Blazers would have to be pretty ecstatic with this outcome. I think they would rather have Demin than KJ playing that point/forward role, but I agree that shooting at some point has to start being addressed.

As for Coward, I think the Blazers whether they want to admit it or not, are still in a place as a franchise where they need to gamble on upside. Certainly, guys like Clifford are more polished now and would probably be more steady as a backup, but the upside isn't quite as high with a lot of them.

This draft is going to be REALLY interesting starting with the 3rd pick. At the end of the day, I think Fears, Maluach, Queen and CMB are all going to slip.

Agreed re Demin - where there is smoke there has turned out to be fire regarding draft rumors and Schmitz. I think a variable that most teams dont have is we have a guy in Camara who can defend the PG spot - I think Demin is clearly too foot slow to guard PG - he should be sliding down a slot to guard SG or SF. But most teams dont have a guy that can slide up like Camara. That makes the negatives of Demin on defense a bit less prohibitive IMO. I have said it before but I strongly disagree w/ the Giddey comparisons. Josh has that innate ability to get to his spots using his size (216lbs and wide framed vs Demin at under 200 and slight shoulders), stop/start motion, hesitations - he just has a poor mans Luka ability to get to 'his spots' IMO.

Demin to me is much closer to a higher upside Marko Jaric. I really dont see a huge upside to him scoring the ball, but think he can be a unique utility player. Something like 13 / 5 / 5 with decent shooting splits would be my ceiling - but the size he brings and the potential for jumbo lineups is a unique puzzle piece that makes that modest stat line a bit more impactful than it seems IMO.

Yeah, Demin is a fun player...his skip passes are definitely great, but that skill will be muted at the NBA level with higher IQ defenders and longer defenders. I also agree that the Giddy comp is kinda ridiculous...for a lot of reasons.

I think Demin has enough recovery length to be average/below average on PGs on defense, but both physical guards and quick guards will feast on him and force him off the floor.

I believe in his shooting, and think that he'll end up a decent spacer...

But the main thing is that he'll 100% have to work almost entirely in PnRs, and his passing won't ever have a ton of gravity.

I like Demin, and love his player type...I just think there may be better options longterm if the Blazers are looking for upside, and better options short term if they are looking for help next season.
As an example:
Noa or Bryant = upside
Nique = immediate help as a replacement for Banton

[BlazersBroncos]

I am out on Demin, his floor is too low and his ceiling isn't all that compared to many of the other players that will be available at 11.

Kasparas, Bryant or Essengue (although the way he has been playing, he is probably out of our reach now).

Case's post: viewtopic.php?p=118826370#p118826370 to me is the way to go. Just run it back and let the contracts expire.

I can see that. I just worry that running it back means Scoot continues to stagnate on the bench.

I actually would keep Simons around if he would resign around 18M AV. Finally push him into a 6th man role. 25/26 cap is projected at 170M so 18M would be about 10.5% of the cap. That is reasonable for a 6th man IMO.

Get him back to his 21/22 minutes of about 28-30 per game. Hope he can get back to 40+ 3PT shooting when not asked to create as much / going against backups. For all the warts his 3-3.5 3PT made per game are pretty useful on a poor shooting team like this.

[dckingsfan]

I am out on Demin, his floor is too low and his ceiling isn't all that compared to many of the other players that will be available at 11.

Kasparas, Bryant or Essengue (although the way he has been playing, he is probably out of our reach now).

Case's post: viewtopic.php?p=118826370#p118826370 to me is the way to go. Just run it back and let the contracts expire.

I can see that. I just worry that running it back means Scoot continues to stagnate on the bench.

I actually would keep Simons around if he would resign around 18M AV. Finally push him into a 6th man role. 25/26 cap is projected at 170M so 18M would be about 10.5% of the cap. That is reasonable for a 6th man IMO.

Get him back to his 21/22 minutes of about 28-30 per game. Hope he can get back to 40+ 3PT shooting when not asked to create as much / going against backups. For all the warts his 3-3.5 3PT made per game are pretty useful on a poor shooting team like this.

True, Scoot could continue with his limited minutes for THIS season. Sigh, it is what it is. What I think we will see is heavy Avdija, Camara and Clingan minutes. Those that play D will get their time on the court.

Just say no to Simons. He is never going to be happy as a 6th man (or 8th in reality) and there are better options. He just isn't that good, he isn't a two way player. He just doesn't fit where this team is going (defense first). But... maybe he finally breaks out in season 8 - I just don't see it.

Now, could he be a good fit on another team coming off the bench as their scorer? Sure. I think you are pointing to Orlando for that. If you can get a first for him and not take on long-term contracts - fine. Otherwise his biggest value is as an expiring contract.

My 1/2 cent. I do feel you since you like Simons...

[zzaj]

I am out on Demin, his floor is too low and his ceiling isn't all that compared to many of the other players that will be available at 11.

Kasparas, Bryant or Essengue (although the way he has been playing, he is probably out of our reach now).

Case's post: viewtopic.php?p=118826370#p118826370 to me is the way to go. Just run it back and let the contracts expire.

I can see that. I just worry that running it back means Scoot continues to stagnate on the bench.

I actually would keep Simons around if he would resign around 18M AV. Finally push him into a 6th man role. 25/26 cap is projected at 170M so 18M would be about 10.5% of the cap. That is reasonable for a 6th man IMO.

Get him back to his 21/22 minutes of about 28-30 per game. Hope he can get back to 40+ 3PT shooting when not asked to create as much / going against backups. For all the warts his 3-3.5 3PT made per game are pretty useful on a poor shooting team like this.

Really good episode yesterday of Locked On Blazers with Keith Smith of Spotrac...I was actually kind of surprised that he thought the Blazers were in a better place financially than I would have figured.

He gave me a little bit of hope that Simons could very well be traded in a year with a crap FA market. I'll believe it when I see it, ofc...but he seemed to think via his team sources that other teams value Simons' skill set more than we on RealGM do. He also said, a trade of Grant isn't out of the question but that it would have to be a very specific team, so not likely. Same thing with Ayton.

He did mention that next year will be very interesting for the Blazers with money coming off the books and potentially a better FA class. Also said he expects Sharpe to re-sign in the 25/5 or 28-35/4 range, eventually.

One idea I liked especially that he mentioned...while NBA teams aren't allowed to frontload contracts like in Football or Baseball, there are ways to make things front heavy next year and have a little more cap flexibility in ensuing years once other players become extension or contract eligible.

Again, an enlightening listen from somebody who KNOWS how teams operate and think in terms of money.

[BlazersBroncos]

I am out on Demin, his floor is too low and his ceiling isn't all that compared to many of the other players that will be available at 11.

Kasparas, Bryant or Essengue (although the way he has been playing, he is probably out of our reach now).

Case's post: viewtopic.php?p=118826370#p118826370 to me is the way to go. Just run it back and let the contracts expire.

I can see that. I just worry that running it back means Scoot continues to stagnate on the bench.

I actually would keep Simons around if he would resign around 18M AV. Finally push him into a 6th man role. 25/26 cap is projected at 170M so 18M would be about 10.5% of the cap. That is reasonable for a 6th man IMO.

Get him back to his 21/22 minutes of about 28-30 per game. Hope he can get back to 40+ 3PT shooting when not asked to create as much / going against backups. For all the warts his 3-3.5 3PT made per game are pretty useful on a poor shooting team like this.

True, Scoot could continue with his limited minutes for THIS season. Sigh, it is what it is. What I think we will see is heavy Avdija, Camara and Clingan minutes. Those that play D will get their time on the court.

Just say no to Simons. He is never going to be happy as a 6th man (or 8th in reality) and there are better options. He just isn't that good, he isn't a two way player. He just doesn't fit where this team is going (defense first). But... maybe he finally breaks out in season 8 - I just don't see it.

Now, could he be a good fit on another team coming off the bench as their scorer? Sure. I think you are pointing to Orlando for that. If you can get a first for him and not take on long-term contracts - fine. Otherwise his biggest value is as an expiring contract.

My 1/2 cent. I do feel you since you like Simons...

O - I really dont like Simons. And in retrospect, despite typing that post like 20 minutes ago, I am not sure I agree with myself lol.

The one thing is that trading Simons means we, as an already poor 3PT shooting team, are losing 3-3.5 made 3PT shots per game. We need to make that up. But realistically, Simons wont sign for 18M and even at that number you still are paying a big amount to a guy that only really shoots the 3 well and is a negative elsewhere. Isaiah Joe for example is a 12M AV guy.

So, ya, I do hope we trade him lol

[Walton1one]

I get that, he has alot of outcome variance. Just think its a swing worth taking at 16. Most higher upside guys will be gone (IMO Noa goes Top-8, Bryant by end of lotto, not high on Fleming outside a bench stretch big, Nique is pretty maxed out IMO, etc).

Think Coward despite his age has a big variance outcome with the higher end being better than most guys available 16.

Yeah, I think b\t Clifford & Coward there is a point of upside\projection vs production\room for growth.

My thought was more along the lines off, if they go guard\swing @ #11, then a big may be worth looking at #16. I particularly like Asa Newell @ #16, but Beringer could be really intriguing there, or a guy like Sorber. Maybe CMB if he fell there or Queen, not real big on either player, but value wise would make sense. Not big on Fleming either, but he could be another guy to take a swing on. I would prefer POR go after a more mobile center to complement DC, but bringing in another big as a b\u would not be a bad idea considering Ayton is probably gone after next year and Williams might be as well and even if he isn't, he is completely unreliable.

[Walton1one]

One thing Vecenie said in their POR recap was keeping BOTH Simons & Sharpe at $50-60mil or so, was not a good idea, and while I agree I really don't want Simons on this team at all, I also find it hard to believe he would re-up with POR for less than he makes now AND be ok with being relegated to the bench behind Scoot\Sharpe (or Billups for as long as he is here allowing that to happen).

But just in general principle having $50-60 million or so tied up into (2) shooting guards is a BAD idea, I agree with that.

I did like the idea of Camara getting a deal of around $18-25 (tad too high for my liking) though, and by tearing up that 4th year, POR could set a lower amount. Camara is eligible for a 4yr/$89mil deal, so tearing up that 4th year and signing a new deal nets him a max of $20mil more (+ security factor)

So a 4yr deal that breaks out to $22mil, is really a $27mil deal, factoring the $20mil he makes in Y4 instead of $2mil, hopefully POR can agree to something less than that, they need players like him to be a modest\good deals as IND has done with Toppin\Nembhard\McConnell\Nesmith

[Walton1one]

New workouts, 2nd rounders & G-League options I would guess

Read on Twitter

[JRoy]

I am out on Demin, his floor is too low and his ceiling isn't all that compared to many of the other players that will be available at 11.

Kasparas, Bryant or Essengue (although the way he has been playing, he is probably out of our reach now).

Case's post: viewtopic.php?p=118826370#p118826370 to me is the way to go. Just run it back and let the contracts expire.

That is how I see it, though I would prefer a move up to grab Harper or Johnson.

[dckingsfan]

New workouts, 2nd rounders & G-League options I would guess...

I think I said it before but... this is a good year not to have SRPs. Going forward there should be some good value SRPs that are older.

[BlazersBroncos]

I have been a bit low on Newell but if he is dropping and we pick up a 2nd FRP I would take the swing. I think there is a good chance he is a Vonleh (IE position locked PF, good physical attributes if a bit undersized, shot never develops so he doesnt find a slot in the league). But there is also some John Collins upside, and a Collins type PF is such a great fit here (And Asa has better defensive instincts + better motor, so your looking at Collins on offense and a better defender).

Kasparas and Newell would be a nice draft. I have given up on my hopes for Noa. Carter is just too similar to Camara IMO. I dont much foundation to develop into more than an elite 3/D guy (His handle is really weak, low FTr, passing is nothing really, etc), which is great, but we need to check boxes elsewhere IMO.

[Walton1one]

Krysten Peek with some NBA intel:

https://www.hoopshq.com/nba-draft/nba-draft-intel-latest

Dylan Harper working out for multiple teams?

Harper has been going through the pre-draft process and has already worked out for multiple teams, not limiting the possibility to the Spurs being his only landing spot. “The pre-draft process for me has been going great,” Harper told Hoops HQ. “I’ve had a few workouts and I’m just getting my body in shape and making sure I’m just sharper for the next level because everyone is so good and I’m just trying to get in that right mindset and right conditioning so I’m ready.”

Spurs could be eyeing Maluach to pair with Wemby?

Another buzzy name tied to the Spurs is Maluach, a 7-foot-2 center out of Duke. The Spurs could essentially be building twin towers with Wembanyama and Maluach and there is an appeal to drafting another young big that can learn and grow alongside Wembanyama. It would be very unlikely that the Spurs would shock everyone and take Maluach with the No. 2 pick but they could be looking to trade down or package the No. 14 pick for a shot at the talented center. 

 

Drake Powell likely a 1st round pick?

He interviewed very well at the combine and has potential through the roof, particularly on the defensive side of the ball. Every draft cycle, we see a team draft a player that didn’t live up to his potential at the collegiate level but his game translates better to the pros. Denver Nuggets wing Peyton Watson was selected with the 30th pick in 2022 based on defensive potential alone and he has been a key rotational player for the Nuggets ever since. Watson only averaged 3.3 points and 2.9 rebounds in 12.7 minutes per game during his one year at UCLA. Teams are looking at Powell and his potential to fill the same role, especially at the back half of the first round where there is a lot of value in drafting a player and being patient with his growth and development at the NBA level. 

Bub Carrington & Derik Queen would like to play together? Just interesting, doubt Bub has any pull on whom WAS drafts

They’ll miss out on Flagg but have a chance to draft his high school teammate and Big Ten Freshman of the Year in Queen. Queen and Carrington played against each other in middle school and high school and have been friends ever since. “I would love to play with him, I know Bub really well,” Queen said at the combine. “I remember one time during my freshman year he was practicing with my team and he took a highly contested jumper and I was like, ‘bro, no!’ and he made it and ever since then, I’ve been watching him and I know he can hoop.” After a solid season at Maryland, Queen’s projects to be selected between picks 5-15. 

Jakucionis may have a promise?

It’s very unusual to not hear anything about a player heading into the draft. When there are no rumors, no discussion of draft range or workouts, it typically smells like a team has made a promise. It’s both sides holding their cards close and not leaking anything. The player this year is 6-foot-6 Illinois guard Jakucionis. There hasn’t been a single word out on him. His draft range is anywhere from 6-16 and there’s a feeling that he left the draft combine with a promise. The Hawks could be targeting a bigger backup point guard to Trae Young and they’re sitting at No. 13. He could also go as high at No. 6 to Charlotte to bring some size in the backcourt. The Hornets kept things very quiet all the way up until draft day last year when they surprised a lot of people and selected Tidjan Salaun and Jakucionis could be another player they are quietly targeting this year. 

2nd round NIL woes

“If you are a projected second-round pick or if there is any chance at all of you falling to the second round, you can absolutely make more guaranteed money in college,” one NBA executive told Hoops HQ. “We all understand the new trend with NIL and it’s up to our scouting and analytics team to really dive in now and find those gems in the second round. It’s time to go to work for a lot of us with the amount of talent that decided to return to school.” 

[BlazersBroncos]

Not surprised on SAS having interest in Maluach. They were connected to DC going into the 2024 draft. They would be nuts to take him 2.

I also dont like Maluch much though. I think he is a worse prospect than DC and Edey.

[DaVoiceMaster]

New workouts, 2nd rounders & G-League options I would guess

Read on Twitter

Hey Walton, who did the Blazers work out for the #11 pick? Youve been all over the college prospects so im guessing you already poated about it, but I must have missed it.