The Portland Trail Blazers decided to round out their 15-man roster by signing Blake Wesley to a one-year deal. With the addition of Wesley, Portland is now essentially subtracting Dalano Banton, who remains an unrestricted free agent and is ineligible to come back on the Blazers' final two-way spot.
Wesley is more of a project than Banton -- that should be apparent by the fact that an 18-win Washington Wizards team reached a buyout agreement after acquiring him from the San Antonio Spurs in the Kelly Olynyk deal. A bottom-feeder rebuilding team that does not want to keep around a 22-year-old should be cause for concern regarding the trajectory of his career.
After being the No. 25 selection in the 2022 NBA Draft, Wesley's three seasons in San Antonio have been underwhelming. This past year, he averaged just 3.7 points, 2.0 assists, and 1.1 rebounds on 44/29/62 shooting splits.
Some concerns surround Wesley's offensive fit in Portland. Adding another guard who is a sub-30 percent shooter from deep for a Blazers team that desperately needs help in that department is a choice. Additionally, the Blazers could've used another point guard to spell Scoot Henderson, with Damian Lillard expected to miss the entire season.
That said, we can't help but love the fit on defense.
Blake Wesley's defensive upside is a perfect fit for Chauncey Billups
Given Wesley's fit with the defensive-minded identity Chauncey Billups has been emphasizing, it's easy to see why this is an upgrade for Portland.
While he'll still need to improve in multiple areas offensively to stick around in the league and prevent bust status, Wesley's defensive potential stands out. He has all the tools required to become a solid perimeter defender -- intensity, instincts, athleticism, and length (6-foot-9 wingspan).
From his old Detroit Pistons team to his decision to bench Shaedon Sharpe, alongside countless other examples, it's clear that Billups believes defense wins championships. From that standpoint, he's going to love having Wesley at his disposal as a change-of-pace guard.
The Blazers' defense ranked in the top ten in 2025 to finish out the season. It was evident they bought into Billups' and general manager Joe Cronin's aligned vision on having an athletic, gritty, and defensive-minded team.
Given their offseason moves, the Blazers should finish the 2025-26 season inside the top ten defensively. The obvious addition to help achieve that is six-time All-Defensive Team member Jrue Holiday, but Wesley is a great under-the-radar signing to bolster their identity even further.