Trail Blazers Win Mock Draft, Take Isaiah Dybantsa

Merlin sees the NBA taking a long view on tanking. A top-tier 2026 class has pushed several teams to lose now, but scouts expect weaker 2027 and 2028 groups and flattened lottery odds to cool the races. A Tankathon simulation made the point with a surprise jackpot to Portland and other teams left empty handed while prospects like Dybantsa, Peterson and Boozer dominated the mock order. Merlin whispers that luck and fit will decide more than intent. Front offices must choose between swinging for a franchise star or trading picks for proven help, and mock drafts remind them how fast fortunes flip. As Illinois coach Brad Underwood said of one riser, "He is one of the greatest stories in a long, long time." Expect more calculated risk and fewer willful losing seasons.