May 12, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, US; Representitives of the NBA teams walk onto the stage during the 2025 NBA Draft Lottery at McCormick Place. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images David Banks-Imagn Images

Trail Blazers Were Just One Ball Away From Top Draft Pick

Originally posted on Portland Trail Blazers on SI
By Nelson Espinal | Last updated May 14, 2025 11:44 AM ET

The 2025 NBA Draft Lottery occurred on Monday, determining the official order of the draft in June and where the Portland Trail Blazers will be picking.

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Portland received the 11th pick in the NBA Draft, slipping one position from the pre-lottery odds, which had them at 10th.

As they entered the night, they had a 3.7% chance of being awarded the No. 1 overall pick, which would have been Duke freshman Cooper Flagg.

Instead, the Blazers are considering a pick in the middle of the first round, an area where players who can significantly contribute to winning basketball can be found. However, this requires much more scouting than selecting a can't-miss prospect like Flagg.

As it turns out, Portland was just one ping-pong ball away from landing the top selection and, by default, Flagg.

According to NBA insider Ben Golliver of the Washington Post, if the last ball had been a six, then Portland would have won the lottery. Landing the top pick would have been massive for the Trail Blazers, but the shocking went to the Dallas Mavericks, who had a 1.8% chance of winning the lottery.

The Mavericks won the 2025 NBA Draft lottery with the ping pong ball combination of 10-14-11-7.
- The Blazers would have won if the last ball had been 6.
- The Wizards would have won if the last ball had been 1.
— Ben Golliver (@BenGolliver) May 12, 2025

The lottery is conducted using randomly selected ping-pong balls, with the team that has the winning combination securing the top selection.

More news: Blazers Have Massive Trade Chip to Use This Offseason

This drawing is done behind closed doors, and the selections are announced by NBA Associate Commissioner Mark Tatum.

The Blazers harbored some hope of advancing in the standings, at least, to potentially break into the top four and secure a higher caliber prospect.

The draft in 2025 has a good amount of depth, featuring solid players who can contribute alongside some still raw in terms of being NBA players. This means they will need time to develop into role players or even in the G-League.

It will be up to the Blazers' scouting to select the right player who fits the team's core and can develop into another asset that helps the team regain its status as a winning basketball team.

More Portland Trail Blazers news: Blazers' Jerami Grant Offseason Trade Value Revealed

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

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

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