Predicting where the Portland Trail Blazers will finish in the West next season

Last season, the Portland Trail Blazers finished with a 21-61 record, last in the Western Conference, and tied with the Charlotte Hornets for the third-worst in the NBA. This was due to various factors, including injuries to multiple key players, inefficient three-point shooting, and attempting to get a better draft pick toward the end of the season.

The Blazers enter the 2024-25 season with a healthier roster and the additions of Deni Avdija and Donovan Clingan. Still, they project to be a bottom-feeder in the West, positioning themselves for another top-ten draft pick in 2025. There are a few teams in the East that Portland could leapfrog in the standings next season. But are there any teams in the West that the Blazers could pass?

Loaded Western Conference got even stronger this offseason

The West was incredibly deep last season, with formidable teams like the Golden State Warriors missing out on the playoffs entirely. It should be even more competitive next season—the Kings got DeMar DeRozan via a sign-and-trade, the Grizzlies are much healthier, the Pelicans acquired Dejounte Murray, and the Thunder added two key players in Alex Caruso and Isaiah Hartenstein—the list goes on.

Most of the rebuilding teams are in the East, with practically every team in the West making an aggressive push to make the playoffs next season. Even the Spurs added veteran pieces like Chris Paul and Harrison Barnes as they accelerated their rebuild around 20-year-old superstar Victor Wembanyama.

Who could the Blazers leapfrog in the West?

The Utah Jazz are the one exception in the West, who the Blazers could potentially pass in next season's standings. Still, their chances of finishing above Utah became much slimmer after the Jazz recently extended Lauri Markkanen on a massive five-year, $238 million deal; this is significant because the Finnish forward was involved in trade rumors as the best available potential trade target, but he's now off the market and ineligible for trade until after next season. As long as Markkanen is still on Utah's roster, it's hard to predict Portland will finish the season with a better record than them.

The Blazers may be better this upcoming season, but they still lack an All-Star-level player like the Jazz have in Markkanen. The Blazers will likely remain at the bottom of the West until they can find a way to get an All-Star on their roster, whether through internal improvements, trade, or the draft.

Prediction: Blazers finish last in the West