Last year, the Atlanta Hawks won the NBA Draft Lottery with just a three percent chance, making them the fifth-lowest odds to win the No. 1 overall pick in lottery history. The Portland Trail Blazers will hope to experience a similar miracle this time around.
After finishing the season tied with the Phoenix Suns at 36-46, the two teams held a coin flip to determine the lottery seeding. The bad news is that Portland lost and will now be in the No. 10 spot.
But the silver lining is that the teams will still split the lottery odds somewhat evenly, with the Suns having just one more ping-pong ball. The Blazers will have a 3.7 percent chance at a franchise-altering talent in Duke's Cooper Flagg.
If the Rip City somehow gets the No. 1 overall pick, it would be the fifth time in franchise history. They should immediately make these moves to build around Flagg. Ideally, Portland addresses these needs regardless of their draft position, but landing a generational prospect would make them much more pressing.
1. Trade Jerami Grant for a more short-term mentor
The Blazers' must-starts would be their versatile trio of Toumani Camara, Deni Avdija, and Flagg. That would make the need to trade Jerami Grant even more apparent, as it would no longer make sense to keep around a $160 million forward just to bring him off the bench.
Grant is the oldest player on Portland's roster and would be a valuable mentor for Flagg at the forward spot, but they should pursue alternatives that wouldn't come at the expense of their long-term financial flexibility.
Similarly to how players like De'Aaron Fox made their way to San Antonio to pair with Victor Wembanyama, star talent could be lining up to play with Flagg if he's as good as advertised. The Blazers could have cap space in 2026 to add a big-name player in free agency, as their core is all under deals that are either rookie-scale, team-friendly, or expire after the 2025-26 season.
The one exception is Grant. If they could flip him into someone like Khris Middleton, who has a $33.3 million player option next season, that would be ideal.
2. Surround Flagg with shooting
The Blazers finished bottom five in three-point shooting for two consecutive seasons. It's one of the biggest concerns surrounding their young core and needs to be addressed regardless of whether Flagg is in the picture.
At Duke, Flagg proved that shooting isn't a weakness of his, connecting on 38.5 percent of his three-point attempts and going 84.0 percent from the charity stripe. But it's not also his biggest strength that makes him such an exceptional talent.
He's challenging to cover offensively because he's good-to-great in every aspect, similar to Avdija. Flagg's 6-foot-9 frame, elite skillset, and basketball IQ allow him to impact winning at a high level with and without the ball, whether it's his playmaking, transition offense, or clever cutting.
But to maximize all of those aspects and allow Flagg to reach his superstar ceiling, Portland would need to surround him with shooters to make sure that the paint isn't clogged.
3. Bring in a backup veteran point guard
The Blazers could use one of their four exceptions (non-tax mid-level, biannual, second round, and veteran minimum) to add a veteran point guard in free agency. Or, they could go out and target one via trade. Either way, this should be a top priority for the Blazers as they struggled in several playmaking categories and need a more traditional point guard to mentor Scoot Henderson.
Flagg was dominant in transition at Duke, in part because of playmakers like Tyrese Proctor and their fast-paced offense. The Blazers played at the 16th fastest pace this season (98.76), an improvement from their 21st ranking in the 2023-24 season. That was a point of emphasis for Chauncey Billups this season to maximize their youth, length, and athleticism.
If the Blazers had Avdija and Flagg, they'd be wise to be a top-ten team in pace of play, as both players can effectively get the ball and go. The biggest obstacle would be turnovers, especially with Henderson and other young players still adjusting to faster decision-making.
But if they brought in someone to show Henderson how it's done and maximize possessions, the Blazers would be much better off building their offensive identity more around Flagg's strengths.