According to HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto, the Portland Trail Blazers have signed guard James Bouknight to an Exhibit 10 contract. The 24-year-old spent the last three seasons of his NBA career with the Charlotte Hornets. Charlotte selected Bouknight with the 11th overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft. With the Hornets, Bouknight appeared in 79 games and no starts. In those games, he averaged 4.8 points and 1.7 rebounds. Additionally, he shot 36.3% from the field and 33.5% from the three-point line. In February, the Hornets waived Bouknight.
The Portland Trail Blazers have signed guard James Bouknight to an Exhibit-10 contract, team says. Bouknight was the 11th overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft. He spent three seasons with the Charlotte Hornets and averaged 4.8 points in 79 games played. pic.twitter.com/Fk5DEiIdgQ
— Michael Scotto (@MikeAScotto) October 15, 2024
Bouknight was a standout during his two-year career at UConn. In college, he averaged 15 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 1.5 assists per game. He also shot 45.6% from the floor.
Portland Trail Blazers Sign Former Draft Lottery Pick
The Expectations for James Bouknight
As is the case for most players who sign an Exhibit 10 contract, especially towards the end of preseason, Bouknight is not likely to make the team’s main roster. Instead, he will likely be cut ahead of the regular season and join the team’s G League affiliate, the Rip City Remix. Luckily for the team, Bouknight has experience in the G League. Across two separate seasons with the Greensboro Swarm, Bouknight averaged 18.5 points, 5.3 rebounds, 3 assists, and 1 steal per game. Furthermore, he shot 45.3% from the field and 41.8% from beyond the arc during that time.
The Trail Blazers have two preseason games remaining before they kick off the 2024-25 campaign. Though Bouknight will likely not play a big role in Portland, especially immediately, it will be interesting to see if he can get some time on the court during either of the team’s remaining preseason games. This would be a great time for the fourth-year player to showcase his talents and prove he can still be an effective NBA player.
The Last Word On James Bouknight and the Trail Blazers
With or without Bouknight, the Trail Blazers enter the upcoming season with a lot of excitement. This summer, they drafted big man Donovan Clingan, another UConn alum, with the seventh pick. Following the injury to Robert Williams, there is a good chance Clingan will receive a big role immediately. Furthermore, the team traded Malcolm Brogdon to the Washington Wizards for Deni Avdija. The Trail Blazers will also look to see a second-year leap from young guard Scoot Henderson.
Last season, the Trail Blazers finished with a 21-61 record. This was their worst campaign since the 2005-06 season when they finished with the same record. Additionally, Portland has missed the playoffs in each of the last three seasons. While they are not likely to return to the postseason next year, there is still a lot of potential in Portland. As they hope for on-court progression from their returning players, as well as solid input from their new players, the Trail Blazers have a lot to look forward to in the 2024-25 season.
