ESPN recently released predictions for how each NBA team will fare next season. The Blazers were last in the Western Conference (subscription required), similar to last season, with a 22-60 record this time around. Barring a major trade involving someone like Simons or Grant, that record seems reasonable.
In the meantime, Bleacher Report’s Andy Bailey predicts The Blazers will finish the 2024-25 season with an abysmal 15-67 record, the worst of his predictions. That’s almost disrespectful after the Blazers finished with six more wins last season. But Bailey seems to be taking into account potential future trades before the 2025 deadline, saying, “While there are a few veterans like Deandre Ayton, Jerami Grant and Anfernee Simons who could push Portland away from the league’s top lottery odds, trades of any or all of these players before the February deadline could be on the table.”
Bailey also offers his prediction by saying, “With apologies to Portland Trail Blazers fans,” but that’s exactly the kind of outcome Blazers fans should be hoping for. The Blazers need to finish in the bottom three spots to have a 14 percent chance of landing the No. 1 overall pick, which in all likelihood will be Duke forward Cooper Flagg.
If the Blazers are closer to ESPN’s projected record than Bleacher Report’s, they should seriously consider trading a significant player to hurt their record and improve their lottery chances. Especially given the expected makeup of the 2025 draft class.
