NBA insider Jake Fischer reported on The Stein Line (subscription required) that "a top eight that has formed in the eyes of many front offices that appears to be nearing consensus status."
In many ways, the draft starts at pick No. 3. In no particular order, the remaining six prospects Fischer lists after Cooper Flagg and Dylan Harper include V.J. Edgecombe, Ace Bailey, Tre Johnson, Jeremiah Fears, Kon Knueppel, and Khaman Maluach.
"If it's not all eight [in the top eight], it'll be seven of those eight," Fischer cites an Eastern Conference executive.
This also aligns with what ESPN draft analyst Jonathan Givony mentioned in a mock draft back in May when he identified the same tier of eight players.
Who should the Blazers realistically be targeting?
Last summer, there was intel that the Portland Trail Blazers were interested in Donovan Clingan should he fall to the No. 7 overall pick. It's been much harder to crack the code for what Portland will do in the 2025 NBA Draft. While we don't have specific prospects like Clingan that they are eying, we know who we can essentially rule out of the conversation.
The surprising 36-win season may have kept Portland from that pool of prospects, but the silver lining is that there are still several high-upside options at No. 11 to pair with their young core, which was primarily responsible for their 15-win improvement.
Our two top prospects at that point would be Noa Essengue or Kasparas Jakucionis. Those two offer the best combination of addressing Portland's needs while providing upside and a solid floor.
Essengue has a higher floor than many perceive because he's already proven to have an impact on winning at a professional level with Ratiopharm Ulm. From a long-term standpoint, he'd be an ideal replacement for Jerami Grant and help address the Blazers' lack of reliable forward depth.
Meanwhile, Jakucionis solves the Blazers' immediate needs with his combination of playmaking and shooting. What he lacks in athleticism, he more than makes up for with his 6-foot-5 frame and ability to create space. His combo guard skillset would also give Portland much more backcourt flexibility, making moving on from Anfernee Simons easier.
The No. 11 pick is challenging because the Blazers are firmly outside that top-eight tier. But it's also exciting because, at that point, they should consider all their options, potentially even reaching for a prospect that fits their young core. Other prospects that should be considered include Maryland's Derik Queen, BYU's Egor Demin, and Arizona's Carter Bryant.