The Portland Trail Blazers took a big step forward this season. After going 21-61 in the 2023/24 season, Portland was able to finish 36-46 this year. That record put them within reach of a play-in opportunity in the postseason. It would have been the first time the Trail Blazers reached the postseason since the shortened 72-game season in 2020/21.

During their successful campaign this past year, Portland had seven players average double-digit points. Anfernee Simons led the team in scoring, but Shaedon Sharpe was close behind. The Acquisition of Deni Avdija seemed to work out for the team, as well.

Two veterans in Jerami Grant and Deandre Ayton averaged 14.4 points per game each. The two players have been the topic of trade discussions recently, though. With those trade thoughts happening, the Trail Blazers have some decisions to make before the NBA Draft on June 25th.

Looking forward to the draft, Portland had the 10th-best odds to win the first pick in the lottery. Unfortunately for them, they ended up moving down one spot, so they will pick 11th in the upcoming draft.

With that in mind, plenty of players would fit in at Portland. However, there are some players the Trail Blazers should stay away from as they look to make themselves a playoff team once again.

Below are three players the Trail Blazers should avoid in the 2025 NBA Draft.

Forward, Noa Essengue – France

Essengue is a French forward that is playing in the German League heading into the draft. Because of that, teams were not able to take a look at him during the combine. Now, there is a chance his season ends before, which would allow teams to take a look at him. However, with so much being unknown about him, there could be some hesitation for teams to call his name on June 25th.

Essengue is a great player, there is no doubt about that. He averages 12.4 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 1.4 steals per game. He is a player that will do well on both ends of the court. However, he struggles to shoot from the perimeter. This season in Germany, Essengue is making just 29.4 percent of his shots from deep. Despite that, he has the potential and it is easy to see why he might be a top-15 pick in the draft.

The reason Portland should stay away is they do not necessarily need him. With Avdija and Toumani Camara, Portland is set at the wing position. Additionally, they have plenty of guys that can stretch to the forward position. If the Trail Blazers are drafting by what they truly need, Essengue should be passed over.

Forward, Carter Bryant – Arizona

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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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Bryant was a freshman at Arizona this season. He played in 37 games, but started just five. In those games, Bryant averaged 6.5 points, 4.1 rebounds, 1.0 blocks, and 0.9 steals per game. He is active on defense and his athleticism at the combine opened the eyes of some scouts. Bryant's pre-draft analysis suggests he has a high floor and ceiling.

He is going to be player that plays a lot of different roles in the NBA. Whether it is as a stretch four, or someone who might be handling the ball a little bit more, Bryant is versatile. The problem is he was not a starter in college. Along with that, in his last two college games combined, Bryant shot 3-for-14 from the field. He is going to take his shots from the perimeter, and he is not one to get to the free throw line as much.

The reason Portland should stay away is they have multiple players that fit Bryant's archetype. Bryant brings athleticism and good three-point shooting, but the Trail Blazers could do without him. Picking him is not the end of the world for the Trail Blazers, but they should consider other options.

Forward/Guard, Liam McNeeley – UConn

McNeeley is another wing-type player that Portland does not need. He was a freshman this year at UConn and started 26 of 27 games for the Huskies.

McNeeley averaged 14.5 points per game, 6.5 rebounds, and 2.3 assists. Those numbers are fantastic, but they came because of quantity and not quality of shots. He took just under 12 shots per game, and made only 38.1 percent of them. From the three-point line, the freshman shot 31.7 percent. He wants to shoot the ball, but NBA teams might want to see some better decision making out of him.

A player like McNeeley is someone Portland should avoid in the draft. They have shooters, and they have wings. If he is available at 11, which seems likely, Portland should pass on him.