Portland Trail Blazers Get 11th Pick in NBA Draft Lottery

CHICAGO — The Portland Trail Blazers will pick No. 11 in the 2025 NBA Draft Lottery, announced during the drawing ceremony on May 12. The lottery results followed an evening full of anticipation, as teams aimed for the coveted top spot to select Duke forward Cooper Flagg, the standout of this year’s draft class.

The Dallas Mavericks unexpectedly claimed the first overall pick, despite starting with just a 1.8 percent chance. They will have the privilege of choosing Flagg, who is expected to be a game-changing talent. After the announcement, Blazers General Manager Joe Cronin addressed reporters regarding the results.

“I feel good,” Cronin said. “Of course, you always want to move up, but this is a draft that we like. There’s good players all throughout the lottery, so we’ll be just fine where we landed.”

Portland entered the lottery with hopes of obtaining a higher selection but ended up losing a spot due to the Mavericks’ jump. Cronin acknowledged the quality of prospects available even at the 11th pick, claiming the depth of talent in the draft would benefit the team.

“As we study this more and more, it’s looking like it’s quality throughout,” he added, noting that the team would look into potential trades while also considering the best available player.

The Blazers may not have ended up where they hoped, but they still have a significant chance of finding a valuable player in this draft, especially with a 16.9 percent chance of landing a Top 4 pick.

Several teams, including the Charlotte Hornets and the Utah Jazz, also hope to secure promising prospects as they wait for their picks.

“We’ll do our due diligence, do a lap around the league and see what’s available,” said Cronin, ensuring fans that the team remains committed to improving their roster.