Blazers Sign Another Veteran as Training Camp Closes

With the start of the regular season less than a week away, the Portland Trail Blazers are bringing some experience into the organization.

According to Joe Freeman of the Oregonian, the Blazers are signing former second-round pick Caleb Houstan to an Exhibit 10 deal.

Blazers Sign Caleb Houstan

Houstan began his career as the 32nd overall pick by the Orlando Magic in the 2022 NBA Draft. He came into the league with Paolo Banchero as his draft classmate, which blocked his path to consistent minutes in Orlando's frontcourt rotation.

Houstan played one year at the University of Michigan, where he shot 30% over 35% from beyond the three-point line. The hope was that it would translate to the NBA, but it hasn't done so quite yet. During his first three years with the Magic, Houstan had incredible work ethic, which earned him frequent praise from the coaching staff. Still, he was unable to translate that into a consistent on-court presence during games.

After three years, Houstan signed a two-way contract with the Atlanta Hawks, which ultimately became a standard deal in the middle of the season. Houstan played 18 games with the Hawks last season, averaging 2.3 points per game in just 4.2 minutes per contest.

This offseason, Houstan signed with the New Orleans Pelicans on an Exhibit 9 deal. This reunited him with Jamal Mosley, who was his head coach in Orlando and had recently taken over the job with the Pelicans.

Houstan was waived earlier this week, opening the door for him to sign with the Blazers. His deal is only an invite for training camp, but the organization will be able to retain his G League rights, allowing him to play for the Rip City Remix this season.

As he is going into his fifth season, Houstan is ineligible for a two-way deal. This means he will have to work his way entirely out of the G League if he wants to return to an NBA roster. The Blazers are giving him a chance to shine, but he is going to have to bring that work ethic to the Pacific Northwest in order to keep his NBA career alive.

Houstan will have a chance to debut for his new team in the Blazers' final preseason contest against the Golden State Warriors. Tip-off is scheduled for tomorrow at 7 p.m. PT inside the Chase Center in San Francisco.