Blazers Still Have Shot at Landing Cooper Flagg in NBA Draft

Matt Levine

Bob Donnan-Imagn Images
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The Portland Trail Blazers failed to make the postseason this year, but not all is lost. This team showed tremendous growth overall, and they could be one of the sleeper teams to make a run toward the playoffs next season.

More news: Blazers' Matisse Thybulle Reveals Major Update on Future With Team

But how the Trail Blazers go about the offseason will likely make all the difference. Due to them missing the postseason, Portland will have a lottery pick in the upcoming 2025 NBA Draft.

The prize player for all teams is Duke superstar Cooper Flagg, who is expected to go No. 1 overall. While the Trail Blazers likely won't be able to land Flagg due to the success they had this year, there is still an outside chance that it could happen.

The Trail Blazers are slotted to own the No. 10 overall pick in the NBA Draft this year, before the lottery results. Currently, Portland holds a 3.7 percent chance of ending up with the first pick, giving them very low odds.

However, now all is lost. Just last year, the Atlanta Hawks earned the No. 1 pick in the 2024 NBA Draft after entering the lottery with just a three percent chance.

Flagg just declared for the NBA Draft earlier today, giving fans of lottery-bound teams hope. While the Trail Blazers likely won't end up with Flagg, there is still a technical chance that he could be coming to Rip City.

Flagg could be a complete game changer for the Trail Blazers if he were to land in Portland. Many see him as the next big thing in the NBA, and the freshman did help Duke reach the Final Four this year.

It remains to be seen where the Trail Blazers will land in the NBA draft lottery, but there seems to be a never-say-never approach when it comes to Flagg. This Portland team could use another good, young player as they try to push forward in the current rebuild.

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

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Matt Levine
MATT LEVINE

Matt earned a Master of Science degree in Sport Management from Louisiana State University in 2021. He was born and raised in the Los Angeles area, covering all Southern California sports in his career.

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