NBA Mock Draft 3.0: Blazers land backcourt help, Hawks steal Derik Queen

One player who appears to be rapidly rising up draft boards is French prospect Noa Essengue. With impressive recent performances for Ratiopharm Ulm and combine measurements of 6-foot-10, with a 7-foot wingspan and 9-foot-1 standing reach, it's easy to see why.

That's unfortunate for the Portland Trail Blazers, as Essengue previously presented a golden opportunity for them to potentially make the steal of the draft. With Portland's chances of landing Essengue dwindling, they'll likely be forced to look elsewhere. In our latest mock draft, they take a high-upside flier on BYU's Egor Demin.

2025 NBA Mock Draft: Projecting all 30 first-round picks

Here's how the entire first round plays out:

Who should the Blazers be targeting at 11?

The draft is always uncertain, and plenty of movement is to be expected. But for the sake of attempting to crack the code as to who will be available for Portland at 11, we are going to rule out Essengue as well as the top eight tier of players that ESPN's Jonathan Givony has previously mentioned: Cooper Flagg, Dylan Harper, Ace Bailey, V.J. Edgecombe, Tre Johnson, Jeremiah Fears, Kon Knueppel, and Khaman Maluach (in no particular order).

At that point, Portland should be praying that Kasparas Jakucionis is still available, although we wouldn't be shocked if he goes before some of the previously mentioned prospects, either.

Jakucionis is the one obvious fit for a Blazers roster that needs more shooting, playmaking, and upside. And he'd be the perfect combo guard to fill in the gaps to spell both Scoot Henderson and Shaedon Sharpe if Anfernee Simons is moved this summer.

But in this scenario, our two top realistic prospects, Essengue and Jakucionis, are off the board when the Blazers are on the clock. In this case, they should consider several prospects, including Collin Murray-Boyles, Derik Queen, Egor Demin, Cedric Coward, and Carter Bryant.

Why Egor Demin makes sense for Portland

Givony and Jeremy Woo recently had a mock draft where they had two selections for each team. Givony covered which pick made the most sense from a fit standpoint, while Woo based it on the best available prospect. Demin was named as the Blazers' best fit.

This may come as a surprise to some because of Portland's crowded backcourt and the fact that Demin isn't a reliable shooter, but the reasoning behind it makes perfect sense:

"The Trail Blazers don't appear to have any immediate needs that can be filled with a player drafted in this range, but they might be intrigued by the idea of adding a big playmaking guard such as Demin, who has the size and versatility to play on or off the ball, can slide across different positions, and can grow alongside Portland's young core long term," wrote Givony.

Thanks to their trades for Deni Avdija and Toumani Camara, as well as the selection of Donovan Clingan, the Blazers have finally established an identity as a lengthy and versatile team. Adding a 6-foot-8 guard in Demin, the tallest guard ever measured at the combine, would help build off that identity.

He's already the best passer in the class, and Portland has too many one-dimensional scorers and could benefit from more overall ball movement. Demin's size and skillset also give him the ability to play multiple positions, which provides flexibility for a rebuilding Blazers team that has an unfinished roster with several players potentially on the move.

That alone makes Demin a valuable late lottery pick. But if his shot becomes more reliable -- and reports suggest it’s already trending in that direction -- the Blazers may have a steal on their hands.