Blazers Draft Rumors: Portland Linked to Big Man Amid Trade Speculation

The Portland Trail Blazers enter the offseason with a ton on their plate. The Blazers are coming off a season in which they surprised many people. They were better than many expected. 

While many expected the Blazers to compete for the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, they instead emerged as a competitive team and had a legitimate chance to earn the No. 10 seed in the loaded Western Conference for a brief moment. Instead, they lacked the necessary talent and veteran leadership that could have helped them get over the top. 

The Blazers' focus is now on building off their solid season and being in contention for the play-in tournament next season. Portland has a solid chance to do so, especially if they nail their No. 11 overall. 

Portland has a lottery pick for the fourth consecutive season. As we sit a few weeks away from the draft, it's unclear what direction the Blazers could go. According to Chris Forsberg of NBC Sports Boston, Portland is expected to add another big man to its roster, specifically Maryland big man Derik Queen. 

“Another big man in Portland!? Guess that would make Robert Williams III expendable. Say to a team that might just have a hefty disabled player exception available after its offseason tinkering.” 

The Blazers invited Queen for a private workout on Friday. 

The 6-foot-10 freshman may be a bit undersized for his position; however, he has tremendous skill and knows how to utilize his body to his advantage. He excels as a playmaker and scorer, and that was evident in his first and only season with the Terrapins.

In his freshman season, Queen averaged 16.5 points per game, 9.0 rebounds, 1.9 assists, and 1.1 blocks while shooting 52.6 percent from the field in 36 games and 30.4 minutes of action. According to NBA Draft.net, Queen is compared to the likes of Brad Miller and Zach Randolph, two players who excelled in the post. 

The Blazers have several directions they could take, but if they opt to draft a center, it could spell the beginning of the end for Robert Williams’ time in Portland.

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For more news and notes on the Portland Trail Blazers, visit Portland Trail Blazers on SI.