The Portland Trail Blazers roster is taking shape heading into the 2025-26 season. They have one final two-way spot to fill next to new additions Caleb Love and Sidy Cissoko. That spot will not be filled by wing Justin Minaya, who has agreed to an Exhibit 10 deal with the Orlando Magic, according to Jason Beede of the Orlando Sentinel.
Minaya will now have an opportunity to compete for a two-way contract with the Magic, who are also bringing in Reece Beekman, Colin Castleton, and Lester Quiñones.
Justin Minaya finds new opportunity with the Orlando Magic
Undrafted coming out of Providence in 2022, Minaya has bounced between the NBA and G League with 57 and 46 career games, respectively. He appeared in 19 games with the Blazers last season, averaging 0.9 points, 0.5 rebounds, and 0.4 assists in just 5.3 minutes per game.
His versatility as a 6-foot-5 wing is an excellent fit for Orlando on the defensive end. In many ways, the Magic are the Eastern Conference version of the Blazers in terms of their defense, length, and athleticism, so Minaya should fit right in from that standpoint. The bigger question mark lies on the offensive end because Orlando, like Portland, struggles to space the floor.
Bringing in Desmond Bane should help address that to some extent. Still, the Magic shot a league-worst 31.8% from beyond the arc last season, meaning it's a roster issue that goes far beyond just one individual. That could be problematic for Minaya if he can't improve his shooting efficiency. In his three years with the Blazers, he shot just 31.4% from the field and 23.9% beyond the arc. Additionally, his age (26) suggests that Minaya's developmental upside may be limited.
Minaya isn't a reliable offensive initiator or playmaker, but the good news is that the Magic wouldn't need him to be with an offense built around rising stars Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner. If he can drastically improve his three-point shooting, Minaya could potentially provide value to Orlando as a 3-and-D piece in limited stretches.
With the Blazers moving on from Minaya and their 15-man roster solidified after the signing of Blake Wesley, they must now turn their attention to that final two-way spot. The Knicks and Bucks elected to pass up on MarJon Beauchamp, who could be an intriguing low-risk flyer given his untapped potential and first-round draft pedigree. As another versatile defender at 6-foot-7, Beauchamp could be a replacement for Minaya with a bit more upside.