Now that the Portland Trail Blazers are officially eliminated from play-in contention, they can turn their sights to what will be a pivotal offseason. Their surprising season has proven that their young core is too talented for another year of tanking for a better draft position.
We don't know when they'll have another opportunity to add a potential top-ten pick to their young core. This summer could be the last time they get to pick this high in a while, depending on what happens with the Milwaukee Bucks' first-round picks and swaps they have from 2028-30. Especially given how strong this 2025 class is, it's imperative that the Blazers nail this selection.
That's exactly what Portland does in ESPN's latest mock draft.
Kasparas Jakucionis falls to Blazers in dream outcome
Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo projected the entire first round (subscription required) of the 2025 NBA Draft now that March Madness is officially finished. With the No. 9 overall selection, the Blazers steal Illinois guard Kasparas Jakucionis.
The Blazers didn't do themselves any favors by beating the Spurs in a game neither team really wanted to win, as San Antonio now has a 2.5-game gap in the race for the league's eighth-worst record. Still, if the draft plays out like this, it may not matter much that the Blazers have to pick at No. 9, reminiscent of how Donovan Clingan fell to them at No. 7 last year.
Roughly two months ago, we wrote about how Jakucionis should already be on the Blazers' radar. At the time, Kevin O'Connor of Yahoo Sports even mentioned Jakucionis as the one prospect who could potentially be drafted at No. 2 over Rutgers' Dylan Harper.
His stock has taken a dip since then, which is why Portland is able to land him at No. 9 here. There are concerns surrounding his lack of athleticism, efficiency (59.8 true shooting percentage), and turnovers (3.7 per game). Still, Woo highlights why Jakucionis would be an ideal fit for Portland's backcourt.
"There's still plenty to like long term with his intangibles and ability to play both backcourt spots, keeping him in the lottery picture amid an intriguing group of guards. The Trail Blazers could benefit from adding his decision-making and unselfish style to their backcourt mix," wrote Woo.
Similarly to why we had them take Michigan State's Jase Richardson in our recent lottery mock draft, Jakucionis' combo guard ability to spell both Scoot Henderson and Shaedon Sharpe should be intriguing for Portland. That idea would work even better with Jakucionis than Richardson, given his 6-foot-6 frame.
One issue with the Blazers' roster is that many of their best players are too one-dimensional. They did a great job adding more versatility in Deni Avdija last summer but still need more well-rounded players on their roster. Jakucionis would help address that need on day one.
As a freshman, he averaged 15.0 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 4.7 assists on 44/32/85 shooting splits. He's a better shooter than his 31.8 three-point percentage suggests and has the touch to effectively space the floor at the next level. As Woo points out, Jakucionis also has a high basketball IQ and often makes the correct read despite the turnovers, which is an area that every young guard needs to improve.
Teams shouldn't let Jakucionis fall to No. 9, but Blazers fans should be thrilled if he does. Given the combination of fit and talent, he would be a dream selection for Portland.