The Portland Trail Blazers are scheduled to have the 11th overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft. Let’s take a look at the Trail Blazers best NBA draft picks in franchise history. It’s not necessarily the 10 best players ranked in order as where they were selected was taken into consideration. Keep in mind LaMarcus Aldridge was acquired in a draft-day deal, thus not drafted by the team. Only time with the team is credited. We shall see if active Portland draft picks such as Anfernee Simons, Shaedon Sharpe, Scoot Henderson, and Donovan Clingan can play their way onto the list in the near future. Honorable mentions that were heavily considered include Zach Randolph, Larry Steele, Lionel Hollins, Arvydas Sabonis, Mychal Thompson, and Lloyd Neal.
10 Best NBA Draft Picks In Portland Trail Blazers History
10. Jim Paxson (12th overall, 1979)
Named to back-to-back All-Star Games in 1982-83 and 1983-84, Jim Paxson also earned All-NBA Second Team honors in the latter of those years. Both seasons, he averaged more than 21 points per game. He is eighth in team history in points (10,003) and fourth in steals (857).
9. Jerome Kersey (46th overall, 1984)
A late second round pick, Jerome Kersey is second all-time in games played for the franchise (831). He was the starting small forward on the 1990 and 1992 Trail Blazers teams that made the NBA Finals. Kersey had double-digit scoring averages for seven straight seasons from 1986-87 until 1992-93.
8. Sidney Wicks (2nd overall, 1971)
Playing his first five seasons with Portland, Sidney Wicks was an All-Star in each of the first four. His stellar first year earned him the 1971-72 Rookie of the Year. In three different seasons, Wicks averaged more than 20 points and 10 rebounds.
7. Geoff Petrie (8th overall, 1970)
Unfortunately, Geoff Petrie’s career only lasted six seasons (all with Portland) due to reoccurring knee troubles. He entered the league winning Rookie of the Year in 1970-71, one of two years he was named an All-Star. Three times, the 6-foot-4 guard averaged more than 24 points an outing.
6. CJ McCollum (10th overall, 2013)
While with Portland, CJ McCollum consistently averaged more than 20 points per contest. He did so every season from 2015-16 until the 36 games he played for the team prior to being traded to the New Orleans Pelicans in 2021-22. The 6-foot-3 guard is fifth in team history with 10,710 points.
5. Clifford Robinson (36th overall, 1989)
Despite being a second round pick, Clifford Robinson had a productive eight years with the team. He won Sixth Man of the Year in 1992-93 and was an All-Star the following year. Robinson averaged more than 20 points for three straight seasons from 1993-94 until 1995-96.
4. Terry Porter (24th overall, 1985)
Terry Porter spent a full ten seasons with Portland where he was named an All-Star twice. The 6-foot-3 point guard was the floor general for two Trail Blazers teams that reached the NBA Finals. Porter is the franchise’s all-time leader with 5,319 assists.
3. Bill Walton (1st overall, 1974)
Should Bill Walton be first? Perhaps. His ceiling was certainly the highest as evidenced by a runner-up MVP finish and Finals MVP in 1976-77 before winning league MVP in 1977-78. As incredible as he was, it was brief. It’s a testament to his greatness that he’s third despite just four years and 209 games with the Trail Blazers.
2. Damian Lillard (6th overall, 2012)
One of the top-scoring point guards of all-time, Damian Lillard played his first 11 seasons with the Trail Blazers. He averaged at least 24 points and 5.9 assists in the last eight of those and had five top-eight MVP finishes. His propensity for putting the ball in the hoop led him to becoming the franchise’s all-time leading scorer with 19,376 points.
1. Clyde Drexler (14th overall, 1983)
An eight-time All-Star with Portland, Clyde Drexler spent 12 seasons with the Trail Blazers. He was the best player on two Portland teams that reached the NBA Finals in 1990 and 1992 (finished 12th and second respectively in MVP voting those years). ‘Clyde the Glide’ is the franchise all-time leader in games played (867) and steals (1,795).
Photo credit: © David Richard-Imagn Images
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