By winning their season finale over the Lakers, the Trail Blazers will now have their lottery standing determined by a coin flip for the second consecutive year. Portland finished the season with a 36-46 record, tied with Phoenix for the ninth-worst in the association.
Regardless, their chances of landing a top-four pick will be slim, at less than 18 percent. More likely than not, the coin flip will determine whether the Blazers select No. 9 or No. 10 in the draft. That's not quite what Blazers fans were hoping for at the start of the season, but it's widely viewed to be a strong draft class where Portland can potentially still find an impactful player to add to their promising young core.
Nearly half of the Blazers' roster should be considered trade candidates this offseason, meaning they shouldn't rule out any position in this upcoming draft. Instead, they should prioritize the best player available.
Blazers should hope Kasparas Jakucionis falls to them
Assuming they don't land inside the top four, there's no better option potentially available than Illinois freshman Kasparas Jakucionis. ESPN's draft analyst Jonathan Givony announced that Illinois freshman Jakucionis will enter the 2025 NBA Draft.
In ESPN's latest mock draft, Givony and Jeremy Woo had the Blazers selecting Jakucionis with the No. 9 overall pick. If that were to happen, it would be an absolute steal of a pick.
A lot can change between now and June 25, but momentum is building around a top four of Cooper Flagg, Dylan Harper, Ace Bailey, and V.J. Edgecombe. If that is the case, Jakucionis should be right in the mix in that next tier of prospects, along with Tre Johnson and others.
Jakucionis falling to pick No. 9 would be somewhat surprising and a dream scenario for Portland. He would instantly elevate their floor as a combo guard who can provide secondary playmaking and floor spacing. At Illinois, he averaged 15.0 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 4.7 assists on 44/32/85 shooting splits, showcasing his well-rounded game.
The Blazers are committed to Joe Cronin's vision, which is predicated on length and versatility -- a refreshing change for a Blazers franchise that previously had too many undersized and score-first players.
Acquiring Deni Avdija and Donovan Clingan last summer was a significant step forward, and drafting the 6-foot-6 Jakucionis would continue to build on that progress. He would be the perfect fit for the direction that Portland is headed in.