Trail Blazers Agree On Two-Way Deal With Former Hornets Player

According to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, the Portland Trail Blazers have agreed on a two-way contract with shooting guard Bryce McGowens. The 21-year-old had spent the first two seasons of his career with the Charlotte Hornets.

Trail Blazers Agree On Two-Way Deal With Former Hornets Player

In the 2022 NBA Draft, the six-foot-seven McGowens was selected with the 40th overall pick in the second round by the Minnesota Timberwolves. He was traded to Charlotte for Josh Minott (45th pick in 2022) and a 2023 second-round pick. McGowens had played one season at Nebraska where he posted averages of 16.8 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 1.4 assists.

As a rookie in 2022-23, McGowens appeared in 46 games (seven starts) for the Hornets. In 17.1 minutes per contest, he finished with averages of 5.3 points, 2.0 rebounds, and 1.2 assists. His shooting numbers on the season were 39.6% from the field, 32.5% from three-point range, and 75.0% from the free-throw line. The two-highest scoring outings of McGowens’ brief career came in the last month of the 2022-23 season. On April 9, 2023, he dropped 22 points against the Cleveland Cavaliers, and five days prior, he scored 20 against the Toronto Raptors.

Despite receiving twice as many starts last season (14), McGowens saw his average playing time take a slight dip. He appeared in 59 games receiving 14.9 minutes per outing. His averages on the season consisted of 5.1 points, 1.7 rebounds, and 0.9 assists. His shooting numbers went up across the board at 43.9% from the field, 33.3% from beyond the arc, and 77.6% from the charity stripe.

Likely To Play In Trail Blazers Summer League

McGowens’ signing to a two-way deal comes two days before Portland’s 2024 Summer League season begins. They will be taking on the San Antonio Spurs on Saturday.

Each team is allowed to have three players on a two-way deal. McGowens is now currently the second player for Portland to be on a two-way deal. The other is Justin Minaya who appeared in 34 games for the Trail Blazers last season. The team does have a lot of depth at the guard and wing positions which could make it challenging for McGowens to see regular minutes with the club. Scoot Henderson, Shaedon Sharpe, Anfernee Simons, Matisse Thybulle, and Dalano Banton look to be ahead of McGowens in the pecking order at the moment.

Still, it’s a low-risk move for the Trail Blazers to bring him in on a two-way deal. The Hornets waived McGowens along with Aleksej Pokusevski last Saturday. Now, it’s up to McGowens to prove that he can be a mainstay in the league.