At 23-32 heading into the All-Star break, the Portland Trail Blazers have already exceeded last year's 21-win total. They've been playing promising basketball as of late, with an unexpected 10-4 record as of late.
There's been a few encouraging takeaways from their improved play. Their wing acquisitions of Deni Avdija and Toumani Camara are starting to emerge as building blocks for their newfound defensive identity. Scoot Henderson and Donovan Clingan have been trending in the right direction in terms of their progression. Veterans like Deandre Ayton (when healthy) and Anfernee Simons are also starting to play more consistently.
But unfortunately, this overall improved play has also come at the expense of the Blazers' long-term outlook. Despite Portland having no playoff aspirations and the 2025 draft class being loaded with promising prospects, headlined by Duke forward Cooper Flagg, the Blazers have been positioning themselves to have slim odds of landing a top pick in the draft.
Currently, they have the ninth-worst record in the league, good for just a 4.5 percent chance of the No. 1 overall pick and a 20.2 percent chance of landing in the top four.
2025 NBA Mock Draft
We simulated the lottery draft order using Tankathon. Taking into account the best available player as well as roster needs, here are our projections for the entire first round:
Pick | Team | Player | Position | School |
|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Toronto Raptors | Cooper Flagg | F | Duke |
2 | Washington Wizards | Dylan Harper | G | Rutgers |
3 | Utah Jazz | Ace Bailey | G/F | Rutgers |
4 | Chicago Bulls | V.J. Edgecombe | G | Baylor |
5 | New Orleans Pelicans | Kasparas Jakucionis | G | Illinois |
6 | Charlotte Hornets | Tre Johnson | G | Texas |
7 | Oklahoma City Thunder (via PHI) | Derik Queen | C | Maryland |
8 | Brooklyn Nets | Egor Demin | G | BYU |
9 | Portland Trail Blazers | Liam McNeeley | F | UConn |
10 | San Antonio Spurs | Kon Knueppel | G/F | Duke |
11 | Miami Heat | Nolan Traoré | G | Saint-Quentin |
12 | Houston Rockets (via PHX) | Asa Newell | F | Georgia |
13 | Atlanta Hawks (via SAC) | Khaman Maluach | C | Duke |
14 | Miami Heat (via GSW) | Collin Murray-Boyles | F | South Carolina |
15 | San Antonio Spurs (via ATL) | Noa Essengue | F | Ratiopharm Ulm |
16 | Orlando Magic | Jeremiah Fears | G | Oklahoma |
17 | Minnesota Timberwolves (via DET) | Ben Saraf | G | Ratiopharm Ulm |
18 | Dallas Mavericks | Kam Jones | G | Marquette |
19 | Brooklyn Nets (via MIL) | Hugo Gonzalez | G/F | Real Madrid |
20 | Utah Jazz (via MIN) | Labaron Philon | G | Alabama |
21 | Indiana Pacers | Jase Richardson | G | Michigan St. |
22 | Oklahoma City Thunder (via LAC) | Rasheer Fleming | F | St. Joseph's |
23 | Atlanta Hawks (via LAL) | Thomas Sorber | F/C | Georgetown |
24 | Brooklyn Nets (via HOU) | Noah Penda | G/F | Le Mans |
25 | Orlando Magic (via DEN) | Ian Jackson | G | North Carolina |
26 | Washington Wizards (via MEM) | Carter Bryant | F | Arizona |
27 | Brooklyn Nets (via NYK) | Joan Beringer | C | KK Cedevita Junior |
28 | Boston Celtics | Adou Thiero | F | Arkansas |
29 | LA Clippers (via OKC) | Sergio de Larrea | G | Valencia |
30 | Phoenix Suns (via CLE) | Danny Wolf | C | Michigan |
How would Liam McNeeley fit with the Blazers?
The Blazers have had success with Donovan Clingan -- why not take a flier on another UConn prospect?
Liam McNeely has excellent positional size at 6-foot-7 and would fit perfectly with the Blazers' needs. Portland already has a future starting five between Scoot Henderson, Shaedon Sharpe, Toumani Camara, Deni Avdija, and Donovan Clingan. But what that group lacks is shooting.
The Blazers have ranked near the bottom of the league in three-point shooting for two consecutive seasons and could use someone like McNeely, who has shot 37.6 percent from three and 85.0 percent from the charity stripe, to come in and make an immediate impact as a floor spacer.
McNeely would seamlessly fit as a complementary piece to their existing core. His length and shooting alone give him a high floor, but McNeely also has an underrated ceiling that should make him a top-ten selection in the upcoming draft. Two games ago, he had a 38-point 10 rebound performance in their win over Creighton.
Ideally, the Blazers further commit to the rebuild in the second half of the season and land someone more likely to turn into an All-Star. But if the Blazers pick closer to the end of the lottery, McNeely is someone they should strongly consider.