Blake Wesley is in the midst of just his first season as a Trail Blazer, but it might be his last, too. The fourth-year guard will be an unrestricted free agent this offseason, and his spot in not just Portland, but the NBA in general, is far from guaranteed. The upcoming post-All-Star break stretch of basketball will be crucial for Wesley to prove himself worthy of a new contract this summer.
Blake Wesley still has a lot to prove
Wesley’s career has been slow to unfold. He spent three seasons in San Antonio after being drafted there in 2022, but he made minimal noise as a Spur, posting lifetime averages of 4.3 points and 2.4 assists on 41/30/63 shooting splits in Alamo City. The scrappy guard was drafted as more of a raw project than a polished product, but still, most players who end up becoming good in the NBA show more promise than Wesley did in his first three years.
Finally, though, Wesley is showing signs of being a quality rotation piece. He’s only played 13 games as a Blazer so far, as an injury kept him sidelined for months, but in that limited sample, he’s given Portland some good minutes.
The Notre Dame product has been highly engaged on the defensive end, pestering ball handlers and forcing turnovers. Only two Trail Blazers, Matisse Thybulle and Javonte Cooke, have a higher steal percentage than Wesley on the season, but both of those guys have played less than 100 total minutes.
Offensively, Wesley uses his burst and craft to be a sparkplug. He gets to the paint with ease and makes plays off drives for himself and others. He’s dishing out a career-high 3.0 assists while playing just 15.5 minutes per game on the year.
While flashes are coming with more frequency than ever for Wesley, some serious concerns remain. He’s an inefficient three-point shooter on low volume, and his poor free-throw shooting doesn’t bode well for improvement of his jumper. He’s a streaky and unreliable scorer overall, a tough truth in a league that values backcourt scoring more than ever.
Portland’s need for Wesley’s skillset is dwindling
The Blazers are building a defensive culture, something that Wesley can be a part of. However, their other key guards can defend too. Jrue Holiday, of course, is one of the best in the business, and Caleb Love and Scoot Henderson have been competing hard on that end.
All three of Holiday, Henderson and Love offer a lot more on offense than Wesley right now and feel comfortably ahead of him in the depth chart moving forward. That’s not even mentioning Damian Lillard, who is set to return next year.
With a loaded guard room in place in Rose City and several question marks surrounding his name, Wesley’s future as a Trail Blazer is in jeopardy. A strong stretch of games in the coming months will go a long way for him as he looks to secure his place in the NBA.