The downside of the Portland Trail Blazers' surprising and relatively successful season is that they will likely wind up selecting between No. 8 and No. 11 in the draft. But the good news is that the 2025 NBA Draft class is widely considered strong beyond just headliner Cooper Flagg.
It's challenging to identify potential busts; there's a reason these players are potential lottery picks. There's a lot to like about each of these players' games, and these predictions could come back to haunt us for those who keep receipts. But they have more glaring red flags than other players projected to be selected around the Blazers' range.
1. Carter Bryant, Arizona
Carter Bryant is emerging as a trendy sleeper pick and someone whose upside could land him inside the lottery. He is more of a developmental flier than someone who can consistently contribute immediately. Bryant finished his freshman season at Arizona, averaging just 6.5 points and 4.1 rebounds.
Bryant does possess a high defensive floor with his 6-foot-8, 220 frame and positional versatility. Anyone who watched the Duke-Arizona matchup in the Sweet 16 saw that Bryant was the Wildcats' only chance of somewhat containing Cooper Flagg. But there are too many question marks surrounding his offense to feel comfortable selecting him with a top-11 pick.
He's not a good ballhandler or shot-creator and relies heavily on being set up to score, which immediately limits his upside to being a 3-and-D player as his best possible outcome. Although he shot 37.1 percent from three in Arizona, he also shot 69.5 percent from the charity stripe. Bryant may not have a good enough touch to be the reliable 3-and-D piece that a team would envision his role at the next level.
2. Asa Newell, Georgia
Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo of ESPN surprisingly have Asa Newell falling all the way to No. 20 in their latest mock draft (subscription required).
"Some questions persist regarding his perimeter shooting, defensive versatility, and feel for the game, as he is somewhat of a jack of all trades who is caught between positions with his average length," wrote Givony.
That perfectly sums up our concern surrounding Newell as a prospect. The Blazers need more forward depth, and he'd be a solid fit at first glance. But when you think about his role and how his game translates to the modern NBA, the fit gets murkier. He's not quite big enough to be a dominant lob threat, but not a consistent enough shooter to be a reliable stretch big, shooting 29.2 percent from deep at Georgia.
The last part Givony highlights is perhaps the most concerning. Newell's questionable feel for the game prevents him from being utilized as a short-roll playmaker, an extremely underrated skill for a modern-day big.
Newell's game has things to like, including his motor, rebounding, and aggressiveness. But he is somewhat of a tweener with no clear-cut trait that will translate to success in the NBA. In a draft class that is this talented, that could be enough to drop you out of the lottery. This bust pick may be polarizing, but the Blazers should look elsewhere.
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