The Portland Trail Blazers kicked off their preseason with a 106-66 win over the New Zealand Breakers behind 14 points from Anferneee Simons and 13 from the impressive Toumani Camara, but the team made a few fringe roster moves prior to its initial exhibition game.
Portland Trail Blazers complete trio of roster moves before Breakers win
Portland took care of a little housekeeping before routing New Zealand, releasing guard Malachi Smith and signing center George Conditt IV.
Smith was the West Coast Conference’s Sixth Man of the Year last season with Gonzaga and appears destined for a roster spot with the Blazers’ new G League affiliate, the Rip City Remix, per Hoops Rumors.
Conditt was signed earlier this offseason after a solid performance at the FIBA World Cup, where he averaged more than 10 points and 7 rebounds to go along with 1.6 blocks for Puerto Rico.
The 6-foot-10 forward/center will likely follow Smith to the Remix, but could catch on with the NBA team on a two-way deal or even a standard contract if he has a huge preseason, although that seems unlikely.
Portland also waived guard Antoine Davis, another potential future member of the Remix. Davis played at Detroit Mercy in the Horizon League and finished his collegiate career as the NCAA’s second all-time leading scorer behind Pete Maravich.