Former Portland Trail Blazers wing Justin Minaya is continuing his NBA journey, signing an Exhibit 10 deal with the Orlando Magic. Minaya's departure after three seasons in Portland leaves the Blazers with one final two-way spot remaining alongside Arizona's Caleb Love and French wing Sidy Cissoko.
They should fill that final spot by taking a flyer on MarJon Beauchamp.
The former first-round pick has bounced around from the Bucks, Clippers, and Knicks, and is surprisingly still available this offseason. He's averaging just 4.1 points and 1.9 rebounds so far in his career, but he still has plenty of room to grow at 24 years old. As someone with a low floor but high ceiling, Beauchamp is the type of project Portland should take a chance on with their final two-way spot.
MarJon Beauchamp is a perfect fit for Portland
Some aspects of his game would immediately translate to the style Chauncey Billups wants his team to play. Portland is a team that prides itself on the defensive end and wants to get stops that lead to transition opportunities, utilizing its length and youth. As an athletic 6-foot-7 forward, Beauchamp can provide value with his defensive versatility and transition scoring. He's also shot 35.4% from beyond the arc so far in his career, suggesting he's capable of becoming a legitimate 3-and-D forward for a Blazers team that could use more of those archetypes.
Portland's lack of forward depth is already a problem and could be exacerbated in the coming seasons. They should still be trying to offload Jerami Grant's head-scratching contract, and veteran Matisse Thybulle's future remains uncertain as he's on an expiring $11.6 million deal.
Beauchamp's skillset could fill some of the void left not only by Minaya but also by Jabari Walker, who landed with the Philadelphia 76ers on a two-way contract this summer. He's limited as a playmaker with his ballhandling and decision-making, but that's not the role Portland would need him to play. If he could provide energy, rebounding, floor spacing, and defense off the bench, that would be enough to justify this addition.
Portland has nothing to lose and everything to gain with this final roster spot, and they may as well add someone with a first-round pedigree. All the tools and upside that made Beauchamp haven't gone away, even if his time in the NBA hasn't gone as planned. He could be the type of player who drastically benefits from a change of scenery and playing under a different system. Portland's brand of basketball and defensive identity under Billups could help unlock that first-round potential.