The NBA Draft has, unfortunately, become the most important day of the year for the Portland Trail Blazers for the past four seasons. But the good news is that Portland is inching closer to ending its playoff drought with a young core that continues to ascend. They'll have a golden opportunity to add another key piece to that core with this year's No. 11 selection. But the question everyone is dying to know is, who will be that prospect?
We can make an educated guess about available prospects by excluding the top eight players from the established consensus tiers. Still, who the Blazers have high on their board remains a mystery. They have underrated depth and few glaring roster weaknesses outside of shooting and star power. That gives them the luxury of taking this draft -- and the pivotal offseason as a whole -- in several different directions.
In our latest mock draft, Portland decides to take Maryland big man Derik Queen.
First-round projections for the 2025 NBA Draft
Here is how the entire first round plays out:
Pick | Team | Player | School | Position |
|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Dallas Mavericks | Cooper Flagg | Duke | F |
2 | San Antonio Spurs | Dylan Harper | Rutgers | G |
3 | Philadelphia 76ers | V.J. Edgecombe | Baylor | G |
4 | Charlotte Hornets | Kon Knueppel | Duke | G |
5 | Utah Jazz | Tre Johnson | Texas | G |
6 | Washington Wizards | Ace Bailey | Rutgers | G/F |
7 | New Orleans Pelicans | Jeremiah Fears | Oklahoma | PG |
8 | Brooklyn Nets | Noa Essengue | Ratiopharm Ulm | F |
9 | Toronto Raptors | Khaman Maluach | Duke | C |
10 | Houston Rockets (via PHX) | Kasparas Jakucionis | Illinois | G |
11 | Portland Trail Blazers | Derik Queen | Maryland | C |
12 | Chicago Bulls | Collin Murray-Boyles | South Carolina | F |
13 | Atlanta Hawks (via SAC) | Egor Demin | BYU | G |
14 | San Antonio Spurs (via ATL) | Carter Bryant | Arizona | F |
15 | Oklahoma City Thunder (via MIA) | Cedric Coward | Washington St. | G/F |
16 | Memphis Grizzlies (via ORL) | Nique Clifford | Colorado St. | G/F |
17 | Minnesota Timberwolves (via DET) | Thomas Sorber | Georgetown | C |
18 | Washington Wizards (via MEM) | Danny Wolf | Michigan | C |
19 | Brooklyn Nets (via MIL) | Liam McNeeley | UConn | F |
20 | Miami Heat (via GSW) | Jase Richardson | Michigan St. | G |
21 | Utah Jazz (via MIN) | Asa Newell | Georgia | F/C |
22 | Atlanta Hawks (via LAL) | Joan Beringer | KK Cedevita Junior | C |
23 | New Orleans Pelicans (via IND) | Will Riley | Illinois | G/F |
24 | Oklahoma City Thunder (via LAC) | Maxime Raynaud | Stanford | C |
25 | Orlando Magic (via DEN) | Walter Clayton Jr. | Florida | PG |
26 | Brooklyn Nets (via NYK) | Nolan Traore | Saint-Quentin | PG |
27 | Brooklyn Nets (via HOU) | Noah Penda | Le Mans Sarthe | F |
28 | Boston Celtics | Rasheer Fleming | Saint Joseph's | F |
29 | Phoenix Suns (via CLE) | Ryan Kalkbrenner | Creighton | C |
30 | Los Angeles Clippers (via OKC) | Hugo Gonzalez | Real Madrid | G |
With reports suggesting the Blazers may not actively be shopping Anfernee Simons this summer, adding another frontcourt piece makes sense. Deandre Ayton and Robert Williams III are on expiring deals, and their futures in Rip City are in question. Queen would give Portland an ideal long-term pairing with Donovan Clingan.
Derik Queen is surprisingly a great fit for Portland
Despite his concerning combine, Queen could be the best player available when the Blazers are on the clock. With elite footwork and a rare combination of ballhandling and playmaking for a big, he has that star upside they need to be swinging for.
Queen's weaknesses -- lack of athleticism, rim protection, and floor spacing -- don't align with the modern big man and Portland's athletic, defensive-minded identity. However, you could make the case that it's precisely why the Blazers are an ideal landing spot for Queen.
With Clingan, Deni Avdija, and Toumani Camara's defensive versatility and Scoot Henderson and Shaedon Sharpe's backcourt athleticism, the Blazers already have the core pieces suited to compensate for Queen's weaknesses. His ability to get the ball and go could also be a better pairing for their transition-heavy offense than many might expect.
And what they don't have is a hub to run the offense through in half-court sets. Queen has a bit of Alperen Sengun in his game, especially his ability to read the defense, which makes this an intriguing fit.
J. Kyle Mann of The Ringer has the Blazers taking Danny Wolf with Queen off the board in his mock draft. But makes a compelling point about Queen's fit in Rip City:
"Since Portland pivoted away from the Dame era, I've been fairly obsessed with the idea of adding ball-skill connectivity between the stable of fly-around athletes that the front office has accrued. Derik Queen's potential as a hub that could feed the Blazers guards had been my dream scenario for this task."
Queen should be among Blazers' top options at No. 11
Queen is one of the most polarizing lottery prospects, and his ceiling in the NBA could largely depend on his landing spot. Rather than trying to force Queen into a role that doesn't suit his strengths, Portland could build around his unique skillset as a playmaking center.
To a certain extent, you can improve a prospect's shooting and athleticism after they enter the league. However, processing and basketball IQ are two non-negotiables that players need to have; that's why Queen will have a successful NBA career despite his red flags.
As the most skilled big in the draft, Queen has legitimate star potential if a team like the Blazers effectively uses him as an offensive hub. Portland desperately needs an All-Star, and Queen offers the best realistic path to landing one.
That, combined with his underrated fit and the Blazers' sudden need for more frontcourt depth, is why he should be among their top options at 11.