Blazers Make Signing, Add Former Thunder Guard

Apr 13, 2025; Portland, Oregon, USA: Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups (right) listens to Trail Blazers’ general manager Joe Cronin answer a question during a press conference before Portland plays their last season game against Los Angeles Lakers at Moda Center. Mandatory Credit: Jaime Valdez-Imagn Images | Jaime Valdez-Imagn Images

The Portland Trail Blazers front office, led by recently extended general manager Joe Cronin, is building out its roster as training camp approaches later this month.

Although the team's standard roster appears pretty much set for now (the bulet point additions this summer are Jrue Holiday and Damian Lillard, while the top subtractions are Anfernee Simons and Deandre Ayton), Cronin continues to make other moves around the periphery for the club.

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Sources tell Joe Freeman of The Oregonian that Portland has inked former Oklahoma City Blue point guard Javonte Cooke to an Exhibit 10 training camp deal.

Javonte Cooke has agreed to sign an Exhibit 10 contract with the Blazers, according to a league source. The 6-6 guard has played the last three seasons in the G League:https://t.co/hSFevN8FXq

— Joe Freeman (@BlazerFreeman) September 12, 2025

As Freeman notes, Cooke is now competing for a two-way roster slot with Portland. Two-way players are toggled between a franchise's NBA squad and its G League affiliate, which in this case is the Rip City Remix.

A Major Opportunity for Cooke

The 6-foot-6 guard has been toiling in the G League with the Oklahoma City Thunder's affiliate squad and the Minnesota Timberwolves' NBAGL team, the Iowa Timberwolves, for the past three seasons.

In his 88 games for the Blue and Iowa, Cooke suited up for a grand total of 88 contests, including 55 starts, in his three pro seasons.

With the Blue last year, Cooke notched G League regular season averages of 16.7 points on .433/.329/.667 shooting splits, plus 4.9 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.0 steals a night.

Cooke is on heady ground now, competing for possible NBA minutes, following a Division II NCAA run between Winston-Salem State and Mars Hill Division.

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Across five Summer League contests for the Miami Heat this past summer, Cooke averaged a solid line of 9.6 points, 3.2 boards and 2.4 dimes.

Journeyman shooting guard Sidy Cissoko and undrafted former Arizona rookie guard Caleb Love occupy Portland's current two-way slots, meaning there is an opening and thus an opportunity for Cooke to prove himself in training camp.

Currently, Cooke's competition is slated to be undrafted rookie former All-SEC Ole Miss point guard Sean Pedulla and undrafted rookie former Kentucky big man Andrew Carr. Given that Portland has a surplus of guards already on its 15-man standard roster, and two guards inked to two-way deals, one wonders if Carr is the leader in the clubhouse for that final open two-way spot.

For more news and notes on the Portland Trail Blazers, visit Portland Trail Blazers on SI.