With training camp wrapping up and the regular season now less than a week away, the Portland Trail Blazers have added another veteran face to the mix.
According to Joe Freeman of the Oregonian, Portland is signing Caleb Houstan to an Exhibit 10 contract. Houstan, who has appeared in 186 games for the Magic and Hawks, is expected to land with the Rip City Remix.
Houstan entered the league as the 32nd overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft, taken by the Orlando Magic. He arrived in the same draft class as Paolo Banchero, and that made it tough for him to carve out steady minutes in Orlando’s frontcourt rotation.
Before reaching the NBA, Houstan spent one season at the University of Michigan, where he shot 30% over 35% from beyond the three-point line. The expectation was that his perimeter touch would carry over, but that part of his game still hasn’t fully translated at the pro level.
Even so, he drew consistent praise during his three years with the Magic for his work ethic. The problem was that the effort didn’t turn into a regular role on the floor.
After those three seasons in Orlando, Houstan moved on to the Atlanta Hawks on a two-way contract that later became a standard deal during the season. He saw action in 18 games for Atlanta last year and averaged 2.3 points in 4.2 minutes per game.
Houstan spent this offseason with the New Orleans Pelicans on an Exhibit 9 deal, which reunited him with Jamal Mosley, his former coach in Orlando, after Mosley had recently taken over in New Orleans. He was waived earlier this week, and that opened the door for Portland to step in.
The Blazers’ move is strictly a training camp opportunity, but it also allows the team to keep his G League rights, meaning he can spend the season with the Rip City Remix.
There’s one catch: Houstan is going into his fifth season, so he’s no longer eligible for a two-way contract. If he wants another shot at an NBA roster, he’ll need to earn it the hard way through the G League.
Houstan can get his first look with Portland in the Blazers’ final preseason game against the Golden State Warriors. Tipoff is set for tomorrow at 7 p.m. PT at Chase Center in San Francisco.
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