Apr 13, 2025; Portland, Oregon, USA: Portland Trail Blazers general manager Joe Cronin departs the presser before the Trail Blazers play Los Angeles Lakers at Moda Center. Mandatory Credit: Jaime Valdez-Imagn Images Jaime Valdez-Imagn Images

Blazers GM Believes Team Can Land Star in NBA Draft

Originally posted on Portland Trail Blazers on SI
By Alex Kirschenbaum | Last updated May 15, 2025 9:01 PM ET

The Portland Trail Blazers were hoping for a lucky break in this past Monday's draft lottery drawing in Chicago. The team brought in standout forward Toumani Camara, a likely All-Defensive Teamer this season, to represent them at the drawing. After finishing with a mediocre 36-46 record, the club had just a 3.7 percent chance of landing the No. 1 overall pick (the 10th-best odds), but a 16.9 percent chance of earning a top-four selection.

Instead, they'll be selecting their next rookie with the No. 11 pick.

A play-in tournament club, the Dallas Mavericks, leapfrogged everyone to earn the right to select the top pick in next month's 2025 NBA Draft. Dallas had just a 1.8 percent chance of earning the No. 1 pick, according to Michael C. Wright and Jonathan Givony of ESPN.

Freshman Duke phenom Cooper Flagg is expected to be the No. 1 selection, and is projected as the best prospect out of college since at least Zion Williamson, a fellow former Blue Devil, went first in the 2019 NBA Draft.

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Still, this draft is expected to be loaded with intriguing talent. Portland should have an opportunity to add a major new piece, albeit perhaps not one with All-Star upside.

Then again, Trail Blazers general manager Joe Cronin has revealed that he's convinced Portland can land star in next month's 2025 NBA Draft, writes Aaron Fentress of The Oregonian

A quick look at players the Trail Blazers could target with the No. 11 pick https://t.co/h4yrhWdL6r
— Oregonian Sports (@OregonianSports) May 13, 2025

“Of course, you always want to move up,” Cronin condeded to gathered reporters in a presser after the fact. “This is a draft that we like. We like the depth of it. There’s good players all throughout the lottery.”

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Some players who could be available towards the end of the lottery or the middle of the first round include University of Illinois combo guard Kasparas Jakucionis, Georgia power forawrd/center Asa Newell, South Carolina power forward Collin Murray-Boyles, and Arizona small forward Carter Bryant.

Portland has an intriguing young core, headlined by Camara, wing Deni Avdija, shooting guard Shaedon Sharpe, center Donovan Clingan, and point guard Scoot Henderson. How starting point guard Anfernee Simons figures into Cronin's long-term outlook for the Trail Blazers remains to be seen.

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This article first appeared on Portland Trail Blazers on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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