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Wade Baldwin IV’s contract with the Portland Trail Blazers for the 2018-19 season is now guaranteed after the Blazers took no action before the July 19 conversion date. Portland could have cut Baldwin’s approximately $1.54 million non-guaranteed salary on or before July 18, but now the contract converts to guaranteed.
Peter Socotch of NBC Sports Northwest highlighted how head coach Terry Stotts talked about Baldwin as if he was making the team:
When asked about the contract status of @The_Fourth_Wade, Terry Stotts dodged, saying it was a team decision... BUT... later in the same interview, he said “We have 6 guys from this team that’ll be on our team...” Collins, Swanigan, Simons, Trent, Layman are 5... Baldwin makes 6
— Peter Socotch (@PSocotchNBCSN) July 19, 2018
It’s possible Stotts was talking about McDaniels or Goodwin or another player on the SL roster, but highly unlikely. If #Blazers wanted to waive Baldwin, they’d have done it with Papagiannis last night. He’s earned a spot, set to make just $1.5M next season.
— Peter Socotch (@PSocotchNBCSN) July 19, 2018
As midnight PT came and went with no news of Baldwin being cut, the guarantee officially kicked in, and the Blazers’ roster total jumps to 15.
Baldwin was selected No. 17 overall in the 2016 NBA Draft by the Memphis Grizzlies. He was cut after just one season with Memphis. Baldwin appeared in seven games for the Blazers last season and just earned Second Team All-Summer League honors while in Vegas.
In 40 career games, he’s averaged 3.6 points, 1.7 assists and 1.4 rebounds in 12.1 minutes per game.
While no official word was made of Baldwin’s guarantee, the Blazers followed the same procedure when Jake Layman had his contract guaranteed at the start of July.