NBA Rumors: Blazers 'bad by design,' sights set on Cooper Flagg and 2025 draft

The 2024-25 NBA season is still months away, but many Trail Blazers fans are looking forward to the next offseason. Portland should have an improved team next season, mainly because their roster is healthier. Still, they will likely finish towards the bottom of the competitive Western Conference.

As a result, fans and analysts already imagine what it would be like for Rip City to land someone like Duke's Cooper Flagg in next year's draft. They aren't the only ones, as the Blazers' front office is factoring in the chance of landing Flagg and the strength of the 2025 draft class into their decision-making this summer.

Blazers expected to tank for Cooper Flagg and 2025 draft

ESPN senior writer Zach Lowe (subscription required) recently wrote an article providing an overview of the seven most under-discussed NBA teams this offseason. The Blazers and the Detroit Pistons made the list as teams considered "likely tankers" for next season.

"The Blazers will be bad by design ahead of a loaded 2025 draft headlined by Cooper Flagg. (If excitement for Flagg was at a 10 out of 10 last month, his performance on the USA Select Team elevated it to 14 out of 10.)"

- Zach Lowe

Barring a trade, the Blazers are limited financially for the foreseeable future. Even if they did have more cap space, Portland isn't a huge market to attract free agents. They have a promising young core, but it's still being determined if Scoot Henderson, Shaedon Sharpe, or someone else will emerge to the level of becoming a go-to star that the franchise can build around.

The easiest way for Portland to find that crucial missing piece is through the draft, and the 2025 class is a prime opportunity for them to get that star. Not only is it projected to be a strong class with top prospects such as Flagg, Dylan Harper, VJ Edgecombe, Ace Bailey, and others, but it's also likely the worst the Blazers will be in their rebuild. With so many players 25 years and younger, the Blazers should continue to improve through gradual internal improvements as their core gains more experience. Next year may be their best chance statistically to land the No. 1 overall pick.

If the Blazers were able to land Flagg, they could potentially have a future starting lineup consisting of some combination of:

PG: Scoot Henderson or Anfernee Simons

SG: Anfernee Simons or Shaedon Sharpe

SF: Deni Avdija

PF: Cooper Flagg

C: Deandre Ayton or Donovan Clingan

That would be enough talent to eventually make a deep playoff run once that core entered their prime together, even in the loaded West.