5 Worst-case scenarios Trail Blazers must avoid at all costs in 2024-25

5. Blazers fight for a play-in spot

The last thing the Blazers want to do is become the Chicago Bulls of the past few seasons in terms of keeping around veterans to seemingly annually hover around an eight seed. Speaking of the Bulls, the Blazers would also owe Chicago their first-round pick if they miraculously made the playoffs this season. If the Blazers were in the Eastern Conference, the concern surrounding that potential outcome would be amplified; there's too much talent in the West to see that being a scenario to worry about.

Still, Portland needs to do everything it can to finish with a bottom-three record in the league to give themselves a 14 percent chance of landing Duke's Cooper Flagg. Even if they don't wind up with Flagg, several promising prospects at the top of the projected 2025 draft class would significantly improve the Blazers' long-term outlook.

According to top 100 player rankings from various outlets, Grant is the Blazers' best player. His average ranking was only 78th in the league, which is nowhere near good enough to be a team's best player.

The Blazers must find a superstar to rebuild around, and their best chance to do so may be in the 2025 NBA Draft. They can't even think about accelerating their rebuild until they know they have someone who's the clear-cut focal point of it.