Blazers News: Portland Adds Star Big 12 Guard in Latest NBA Mock Draft

Ricardo Klein | 7 Hours Ago

Jan 17, 2023; Denver, Colorado, USA; Detailed view of a Portland Trail Blazers logo warmup jersey before the game against the Denver Nuggets at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images / Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

The Portland Trail Blazers are having a rough start to the 2024-25 campaign. They currently have the 13th seed in the loaded Western Conference. 

Portland will likely stay at the bottom of the standings, as they look to be sellers as we approach the NBA trade deadline. The Blazers will look to put themselves in the best possible position to land the No. 1 pick in the upcoming NBA Draft.

Losing is winning for the Blazers moving forward, but as this stands, they have a slight way to go to land the top pick. In the latest NBA mock draft from Bleacher Report's Jonathan Wasserman, the Blazers are picking seventh and see them land Big 12 guard from BYU, Egor Demin. 

The freshman guard heads to Portland in this mock draft. 

"NBA teams are always drawn to big playmakers, and Egor Demin has looked comfortable early handling the ball, creating advantages and live-dribble passing," said Wasserman.

"Questions about his burst and explosion are still there, but he's compensated well early (against a weak strength of schedule) using height and angles for finishing (61.1 percent 2PT). He is also shooting with encouraging confidence and fluidity early, though he's had less success pulling up off the dribble.

"The microscope will intensify when he starts seeing tougher opponents regularly, particularly given the trouble he's previously had overseas converting inside the arc. He was just 0-of-10 against Providence and struggled to separate into easy looks.

"Still, maintaining a similar level of production for an 18-year-old old would remain meaningful, and NBA teams should at least see translatable playmaking tied to his 6'9" size and point guard feel."

The 18-year-old is a Russian native and stands at 6-foot-9. He has currently missed some time due to a foot injury; however, prior to that, he was playing good basketball. 

In the season, Demin is averaging 13.3 points per game, 4.6 rebounds, and 5.8 assists while shooting 49.3 percent from the field and 38.5 percent from three in eight games and 29.4 minutes.

The freshman guard last played on Dec. 3 against Providence, scoring six points, three rebounds, and two assists in 22 minutes of action. 

The Blazers are projected to have the seventh pick as things stand, but with a little over 50 games left in the season, the expectation is Portland will have high odds to land a top-three pick at worst come June.

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