Portland Trail Blazers rumors indicate the team has signed another free agent guard. The Blazers are trying to figure out a way to deal with the loss of Allen Crabbe for the 2017-18 NBA season and this is a move made in that direction. It is being reported that the Blazers have signed CJ Wilcox to a deal that takes advantage of the new two-way contracts that the NBA teams can use this season.
CJ Wilcox has played with the Los Angeles Clippers and Orlando Magic, appearing in 66 games over his first three NBA seasons. Wilcox was drafted by the Clippers with a first-round selection in the 2014 NBA Draft but never ended up seeing enough playing time to become a permanent part of the roster.
Now the Blazers will see what he can do on the court.
What is a two-way contract and how does it help the Blazers?
NBA rosters have increased from 15 spots to 17 now, allowing a pair of two-way players that can spend up to 45 days on an NBA roster and the remaining time on an NBA G League roster. Wilcox’s G League assignment has yet to be determined, but it will likely come when the Blazers make the official announcement about this signing. CJ Wilcox could end up providing the Portland Trail Blazers with much-needed depth should the roster suffer an injury.
This won’t be considered a major free agent signing by any means, but it is one that could help the Blazers if the team has any of its guards get injured.
It’s also an opportunity to see what Wilcox can do with some different coaching. He was really talented in college and may not have reached his full potential in the league just yet.
How did Wilcox do with Clippers and Magic?
During those 66 career games with the LA Clippers and Orlando Magic, CJ Wilcox averaged 2.0 points, 0.5 rebounds, and 0.5 assists per contest.
He shot 37 percent from the field, 81.3 percent from the free throw line, and 33.3 percent from three-point range. Wilcox was also a very good three-point shooter in the NBA G League, where he averaged 16.9 points per game over the past three years.
There had been additional Portland Trail Blazers rumors about the team trying to trade for Carmelo Anthony from the New York Knicks, but the team just couldn’t find the right deal.
In the end, the Blazers instead decided to trade Allen Crabbe in order to save money, leaving the roster short on offense. That might require even more production from Zach Collins, who the Blazers selected in the 2017 NBA Draft. Is the roster of the Portland Trail Blazers good enough to make it back to the NBA Playoffs?
