At least the Portland Trail Blazers tanked their way into a silver lining from one of the most disappointing seasons in team history.

Even if the New Orleans Pelicans make the playoffs, delaying their biggest prize from the C.J. McCollum trade until 2025, the Blazers' brazen efforts to lose under interim general manager Joe Cronin have assured the organization its first lottery pick in nearly a decade come this summer's NBA draft. At 27-48, Portland currently owns the seventh-best lottery odds, unlikely to fall any lower in the race for more ping pong balls nor get any higher than fifth.

The Blazers seem bound for a mid-lottery pick, basically, with varying chances of both vaulting into the top-four and receiving another lottery selection from New Orleans.

As the Final Four of the NCAA Tournament approaches this weekend, here are three draft prospects Portland fans should keep a close eye on as March Madness comes to a close.

Ochai Agbaji — Kansas, wing

The Big 12 Player of the Year this season, Agbaji would be a logical choice for the Blazers outside the top-10 should the Pelicans miss the playoffs, sending their first-rounder to Rip City—at least if Cronin hangs onto it.

The senior wing has limited upside due to his age, lacking feel with the ball in hand and some lingering questions about his defensive mettle. But it's not hard to see how Agbaji could immediately make an impact for the Blazers next season as a knockdown shooter and high-flying finisher, with the physical tools to check at least three positions without getting abused.

He's shooting just below 40% from three this season on a high volume of difficult attempts, and has shown more ability to fly around screens and pull up from mid-range or attack the rim when defenses play him for the jumper. Agbaji's 72% shooting at the basket, per Hoop-Math, is an elite mark, indicative of his impressive vertical explosion and length even while his craft as a finisher leaves a bit to be desired.

Agbaji won't be a star in the NBA or even a surefire starter. He's too mechanical to become more than a dependent offensive player who occasionally runs second-side ball screens and feasts off attention created by primary playmakers as a cutter and in transition. Every team in the league needs wings with real size who stretch the floor and aren't abject defensive liabilities, though, a bill Agbaji fits right now.

A.J. Griffin — Duke, wing

The son of former NBA veteran and current Toronto Raptors assistant Adrian Griffin, A.J. has been earmarked for NBA stardom since early in his prep career. Multiple knee injuries stalled his progress in high school, and another kept the younger Griffin from asserting himself at Duke until midway through his freshman season.

Ultimately, Griffin's draft stock may not veer all that far from its early peak. Don't be surprised if he's off the board should the Blazers pick outside the top-five and Griffin helps Mike Krzyzewski end his legendary career with another national title.

At 6'6”, 222 pounds with broad shoulders and a seven-foot wingspan, Griffin has the raw physical tools to potentially defend four positions at the next level. His red-hot 45.8% shooting from beyond the arc—with that trademark wide stance—suggests Griffin as an elite 3-and-D prospect, but pigeonholing him into a full-time supporting role could mean ignoring some largely untapped potential as a self-creator.

Not many wings with Griffin's frame look this smooth while creating space for a pull-up triple in isolation.

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The Houston Rockets invested heavily into Fred VanVleet during the 2023 offseason. Houston gave the point guard a three-year, $128 million deal in a move that was meant to turn the Rockets from a rebuilding team into a championship contending one. The signing did just that, as the Rockets finished the 2024-25 regular season as the two-seed in a stacked Western Conference. VanVleet was the veteran presence and 3-point shooter that the team desperately needed, and he still might have a role with the Rockets going forward. Houston has a team option on his contract for next year, and they very well may pick it up. The Wichita State product reportedly wants to stay in Houston, but the point guard would be set to make over $44 million next season under his current contract. The Rockets and their guard recently pushed back the deadline on Houston's decision with VanVleet, and although reports suggest that they are interested in writing up a new, long-term deal, it isn't necessarily a guarantee that VanVleet will be playing for Houston next year. The Rockets blew him away with an offer he couldn't refuse back in 2023, and another team could so the same when/if he hits the open market this offseason. If VanVleet does become an unrestricted free agent, which teams outside of Houston would make the most sense for him to sign with? 1. Orlando Magic Jalen Suggs and Franz Wagner recently signed big deals with the Orlando Magic, and Paolo Banchero will be getting a mega contract extension here soon. Because of that, the Magic no longer have money to blow like they have had in recent years. That will make a deal for another big ticket free agent hard to pull off, especially considering the team signed Kentavious Caldwell-Pope last year. If Orlando can make the money work, though, then Fred VanVleet would be a great fit with the Magic. The Magic finished dead last in 3-point shooting this season, and VanVleet has made at least 2.5 deep balls per game in every season since 2018-19. VanVleet can hit shots form behind the arc off of the bounce or in catch-and-shoot situations. The Rockets were heavily reliant on his shooting expertise, so the guard would have plenty of familiarity getting up deep shots with high volume if he signed with the Magic. While undersized, VanVleet is a pesky defender, so he'd fit right in with a Magic team that has one of the best defensive units in the league. VanVleet could play alongside Suggs and give opposing teams fits. Ultimately, though, the Magic just need more shooting to get to the next level, and VanVleet is arguably the best shooter who could be available on the open market this offseason. 2. Brooklyn Nets A more realistic option for a VanVleet destination would be the Brooklyn Nets. The Nets are set up to have the most cap space this offseason, and they have a major need at point guard. With D'Angelo Russell and De'Anthony Melton hitting free agency this offseason, the Nets don't have a true point guard under contract for next season. Brooklyn needs to spend big this offseason, and they'd be smart to offer VanVleet a contract big enough that he'd have no choice but to leave Houston. VanVleet averaged 14.1 points per game last season, which was his lowest mark since 2018-19. He is trending the wrong way, but he still has enough left in the tank to give the Nets a few good seasons. 3. Portland Trail Blazers In the same way that the Rockets were looking to take the next step in 2023, the Portland Trail Blazers could use VanVleet's presence to get over the hump. The Trail Blazers have plenty of big man depth, as centers Deandre Ayton, Donovan Clingan, Robert Williams, and Duop Death are all under contract next season. Portland also has a lot of wing depth. Deni Advija started to look like a star late this past season, Toumani Camara is an elite defender, Shaedon Sharpe is a freakish athlete, and Jerami Grant is a proven scorer. The team is thinner in the backcourt, though. Anfernee Simons is a solid scorer, but Scoot Henderson has looked like a fringe draft bust since being drafted third overall. Portland shouldn't give up on Henderson completely, but there wouldn't be any harm in signing another guard. Like the Magic, the Blazers were one of the worst 3-point shooting teams in the NBA. VanVleet would improve that weakness, and in a stacked Western Conference, Portland needs all of the help they can get if they are to compete for a playoff spot.
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Griffin definitely isn't a primary ball handler, and questions remain about his overall burst and explosiveness off the bounce despite some highlight-reel finishes this season. He's hardly been an overt positive defensively for the Blue Devils, either.

But players of Griffin's age, size, shooting ability and power finishing chops are extremely few and far between regardless. If he develops into an impact defender in the NBA, Griffin will be a high-level starter at the very least, with the ceiling of a possible All-Star. The Blazers would be foolish to pass on him in the middle of the lottery.

Paolo Banchero – Duke, big

The consensus top prospect remaining in the NCAA Tournament, Banchero is also the most NBA-ready player in his draft class. What that means for his fit alongside Damian Lillard, Anfernee Simons and Jusuf Nurkic is an open question mark, as is the long-term potential of a big, muscled 19-year-old with merely solid quick-twitch athleticism.

Still, Banchero will be one of the most offensively polished big men to come into the league in recent memory. He has a deft handle for his size and footwork beyond his years, attributes that combined with his overall dexterity make him an impossible matchup for college centers and power forwards. The Seattle native boasts a projectable shooting stroke, too, connecting on a solid 39.8% of his mid-range shots, per Hoop-Math, via a tough diet of mostly unassisted jumpers.

Think Blake Griffin's first full season with the Detroit Pistons as a reasonable outcome for Banchero's peak. What's not to love about a big who can dribble, pass and (potentially) shoot, equally comfortable setting screens on the ball as creating all-court offense himself?

Unfortunately for Banchero, the strengths of his game and team-wide answers he provides exist on just one side of the ball.

He's not a bad collegiate defender and won't be a turnstile in the NBA. Banchero lacks the length and vertical pop to be an effective rim-protector, though, not compensating with quick enough feet to capably switch onto guards and wings. If those deficiencies ensure he's best utilized at power forward, Banchero's extremely impressive array of skills and overall feel offensively won't hit the same way it would otherwise.

That's the case for Banchero not going ahead of Chet Holmgren or Jabari Smith. For any team selecting outside the top two, including the Blazers, he could end up an easy choice by draft night.

Banchero isn't a perfect fit for Portland's core, but this team remains in enough flux to be picking for raw talent over personnel needs if it gets lucky in the lottery. Fingers crossed.