The Portland Trail Blazers made the headlines on Thursday.
NBA free agent Bryce McGowens, 21, reportedly agreed to a two-way contract with the Trail Blazers. McGowens, who will turn 22 on November 8, 2024, last played for the Charlotte Hornets from 2022-24 and the Hornets’ NBA G League affiliate, Greensboro Swarm, on a two-way contract signed on July 2, 2022. He was originally drafted 40th overall in the second round of the 2022 NBA Draft by the Minnesota Timberwolves out of Nebraska, where he played college basketball from 2021-22. He was Nebraska’s first five-star recruit and highest-ranked recruit at the time.
You need to know here about McGowens’ two-way contract with the Trail Blazers.
The Lowdown on the New Portland Trail Blazer
On Thursday, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski tweeted, “Free agent guard Bryce McGowens has agreed on a two-way deal with the Portland Trail Blazers, according to Kyle McAlarney and Mark Bartelstein of Priority Sports. McGowens, 21, spent his first two seasons with Charlotte.”
McGowens was waived by the Charlotte Hornets on July 7, 2024. He quickly entered free agency because the Hornets didn’t pick up the team option this summer. But, despite his quick transition from player to free agent, he could have potential in Charlotte, as he stands at 6-foot-7, weighs 175 lbs, and possesses good, if not great, athleticism at the shooting guard position.
Bryce McGowens Puts on a Performance
Bryce McGowens, a Pendleton, South Carolina, native, played high school basketball at Wren High School in Piedmont, S.C. He proceeded to play college basketball before entering the 2022 NBA Draft, becoming a Charlotte Hornet and then a Portland Trail Blazer.
McGowens was a deep reserve in his first two seasons with the Hornets, but NBA.com recently reported that he thoroughly enjoyed his rare role as a go-to scorer for the team’s close 86-82 win over the Sacramento Kings. He finished with a game-high 29 points on just 17 shots while showcasing his talent with his steal-and-slam that snapped a tie midway through the fourth quarter and led to an explosion where he scored 12 of the Hornets’ final 20 points.
McGowens had a solid game in his last appearance during the NBA Summer League at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Welcome to Portland, Bryce McGowens
Bryce McGowens helped the Charlotte Hornets make an encouraging first step in the NBA Summer League, but he then became the Portland Trail Blazers’ latest addition in the guard department. McGowens’ good appearances in the final two games of the California Classic were reportedly not enough for the Hornets, who waived him this past Saturday, according to the Charlotte Observer’s Rod Boone. McGowens will get a fresh start, and hopefully a change of scenery if that was part of the plan.
In his two seasons in Charlotte, McGowens averaged 5.2 points, 1.9 rebounds, and 1 assist, along with a 41.9% field goal percentage in 105 games. He became the second player this summer to sign a two-way contract with the Trail Blazers, behind Justin Minaya, 25, a small forward and power forward from Harrington, New Jersey. Minaya played college basketball at South Carolina from 2017-2021 and Providence from 2021-22 before going undrafted in the 2022 NBA Draft.
The Trail Blazers could offer up to three two-way contracts, so there’s a possibility they could draft a similar agreement for another player in the coming days. But, in the meantime, McGowens could benefit from playing alongside star players such as Deandre Ayton, Jerami Grant, and Matisse Thybulle.
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