The Portland Trail Blazers signed forward Bryce McGowens to a two-way contract after he was waived by the Charlotte Hornets during the California Classic summer league. The 21-year-old wing was the 40th overall pick out of the University of Nebraska in 2022 and spent two seasons with the University of North Carolina franchise.
His original contract with the Hornets was also a two-way contract, but it was converted to a partially guaranteed four-year deal midway through his rookie season. Unfortunately, his stats of 5.2 points, 1.9 rebounds and 1.0 assists on 33% three-pointers didn't live up to expectations, and Charlotte waived him before his contract was guaranteed for the 2024-25 season.
But his first two seasons were far from embarrassing: McGowens averaged 15.1 minutes per game and started 21 of 105 games. He played more than 60 percent as a shooting guard, nearly 35 percent as a small forward and less than 5 percent as a point guard.
Standing 6'7″ with a 6'9″ wingspan, the South Carolina product was initially viewed as a five-star recruit, boasting the athleticism, length, basketball instincts and size required for a shooting guard position. His ability to pressure the rim is evident, as he took 56% of his shots from within four feet last year, ranking 13th among wings in shooting percentage from that distance. McGowens can handle the ball and assist, but he needs to take better care of it, as evidenced by his NBA career assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.0 to 0.7.
He has great jumping ability that allows him to star in the open court, and he has the talent to shoot the free throws. However, McGowens' shot selection, efficiency and defensive intensity remain question marks. His defensive limitations come from limited lateral movement and an issue with his ability to break through screens. However, I'm not writing off his potential on that side of the court. His size and overall athleticism suggest he can be at least an above-average player on that side of the court.
McGowens will likely be with the Blazers for the season, but he will need to prove his worth in training camp to solidify his roster spot.
Summer League 2024
Prior to the Blazers signing him, McGowens had a thriving but less than efficient career with the Northern California Hornets. In three games with his former team, the wing averaged 18.3 points, 20% 3-point shooting, 3.7 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 0.7 steals in 26.1 minutes of play.
His performance was most notable in a win over the Sacramento Kings, where he recorded 29 points, 5 rebounds, 1 assist and 1 steal on 33.3% 3-point shooting in 27.5 minutes. He was waived on July 6, but his performance was enough for Portland to acquire him before their game against Las Vegas.
McGowens came off the Blazers bench in all four games and averaged 15.8 points, 28.6 percent 3-point shooting, 1.8 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 0.8 steals in 20 minutes per game.
His best game came against the Philadelphia 76ers, where he recorded 20 points, 33.3% three-point shooting, 2 rebounds, and 2 assists. It's no exaggeration to say that without McGowens' offensive prowess, the Blazers likely would have lost their games against the 76ers and Washington Wizards. He provided the necessary offensive power, including making key free throws late in games to help secure the win.
But let's not get too excited. McGowens has played two full seasons in the NBA. Given his skill and size, it would be a concern if he didn't perform well in the Nevada showcase. Once the real season starts, he won't get the same opportunities or touches and will have to fight hard for playing time.
How will he fit in Portland?
If the players are healthy, McGowens won't be in the rotation for Opening Day. As the Blazers try to rack up losses this season, McGowens is behind the list of young wings who should be prioritized ahead of him, and rightfully so.
Shaydon Sharpe, RayAnn Ruppert and Chris Murray will get a chance to prove themselves first — the same opportunity McGowen had with the Hornets — and to save the Blazers from total embarrassment, coach Chauncey Billups will also give Matisse Thybulle, Deni Avdija and Dalano Banton some playing time on the wings, at least early on.
McGowens will likely end up becoming familiar with the Blazers bench, but he'll likely spend more time at the Chills Center in Rip City Remix. The only way he'll play significant minutes for the Blazers early in the season is if the team is once again hobbled by injuries or if he becomes an impactful defensive player.
However, this impairment is only temporary.
When the trade deadline arrives in February, the Blazers will likely part ways with a veteran or two in hopes of moving the franchise a little closer to Cooper Flagg. While the Blazers continue to show impressive tanking ability, the remaining veterans will likely be stuck with “injuries” that no one noticed early in the season.
As such, McGowens should play a key role late in the season, along with fellow two-way contract player Justin Minaya and the Blazers' other young prospects.
Will McGowens earn a regular spot?
At 21 years old, he's no stranger to the tasks ahead, and it's worth noting that despite playing two years in the NBA, McGowens is younger than Deni Avidiya, Toumani Kamara, Chris Murray and Jabari Walker, and just six months older than Shaydon Sharpe.
A path out of a two-way contract is a legitimate route for a young player looking for a first, second or third chance to stay in the NBA, like Trendon Watford did two and a half years ago. Current teams can convert players on two-way contracts to standard minimum-salary contracts for an amount determined by the number of years the player stays with the team.
But barring an unlikely trade before the start of the season, McGowens may have to wait until the Blazers make a multi-player trade and trim their roster from the 15-man maximum.
He will also be competing with Minaya for promotion, but the team is likely to sign a third player on a two-way contract in the coming months.
McGowens' ceiling is…
I'd like to withhold expectations here. I don't think McGowens has the game or temperament to be an NBA starter. But if he puts it all together, he has the makings to be a No. 1 or No. 2 guard off the bench on a good team, a player a coach can trust to keep the scoreboard moving while the starter is resting.
As mentioned above, his chances of success will be even greater if he can use his size to his advantage defensively, as his 6-foot-9 wingspan and athleticism should help him establish himself as at least an average defensive winger.
Offensively, he doesn't have the efficiency and basketball IQ of a Malik Monk or Jamal Crawford, but McGowen has the “sometimes irrational” confidence those two players have. The key here is not to try and do too much, get into position and take care of the basketball.
Conclusion
There are still a lot of ifs and ends with McGowens — a rebuilding team like Charlotte wouldn't give up on a young, athletic wing without a good reason — but sometimes a new environment is all a young player needs to mature his game.
It's hard to imagine this being his last chance as an NBA player, but he doesn't want to regret not being able to play for two NBA teams before his rookie contract was up.
While he's unlikely to see much playing time early in the season, his offensive skills could propel him onto the court when the Blazers approach the draft lottery in February and March.
His performance in training camp and the preseason schedule will give us an idea of where he stands in Billups' eyes.
