The Portland Trail Blazers officially have the No. 11 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft after falling back one spot in the lottery. They should consider trading back in the first round and getting off Jerami Grant's contract as the asset they receive in return.
The Blazers must explore all their options with this pick, as they can take their roster in several different directions this summer. Portland could keep the pick, with this strong class offering several promising targets likely to be available when they're on the clock. Or they could package it to land a missing star to help return to the playoffs. But there's one massive Grant problem they could use this pick to solve.
Would a team take on Jerami Grant’s contract to trade up?
This draft presents a golden opportunity for them to do so, and one team that makes sense as a trade partner is the Orlando Magic. They have the second-lowest amount of cap allocations behind only the Detroit Pistons. Orlando also has the No. 16 and No. 25 overall picks via Denver as part of the Aaron Gordon trade in 2021.
There's been plenty of talk about an Anfernee Simons trade back to his hometown area, and that's something that Portland should strongly consider as well. But there are plenty of guards potentially available in the Blazers' draft range that the Magic may want to trade up to ensure they land them before No. 16.
Last year, Donovan Clingan fell to the Blazers at No. 7 in part because the teams picking ahead of them already had their center position solidified. History could repeat itself this summer, but at the guard position.
Just a few notes on this draft order big picture:
— Sam Vecenie (@Sam_Vecenie) May 13, 2025
-Think Washington/New Orleans swing a lot with their decisions at 6/7.
-There is a real potential dead zone for PGs from No. 9 to No. 15 despite a number of PGs being ranked in a vacuum in that zone.
-SAS at No. 2 is WILD.
Even if Jeremiah Fears goes before Portland is on the clock, there are still several intriguing options, including Kasparas Jakucionis, Egor Demin, Jase Richardson, and Nolan Traore. If the Magic are set on one of them being their much-needed answer in the backcourt, it would make sense to work out a deal.
Then, the Blazers can use the later pick to address their lack of wing depth, with another tier of prospects going around that range, such as Collin Murray-Boyles, Noa Essengue, or Rasheer Fleming. That would be a significantly younger and cheaper replacement for Grant, providing them with much more flexibility and opening up cap space for the 2026 offseason when several significant contracts are set to come off the books.
Maybe the Brooklyn Nets are a rebuilding team that could be willing to take on Grant's contract to move up, as they have picks No. 19, 26, and 27.
But even if it's not Orlando or Brooklyn specifically, the Blazers should consider pursuing this route with anyone willing to listen. It could be the only way to get their rebuild back on track.