The Portland Trail Blazers have signed former UConn men’s basketball player James Bouknight to an Exhibit-10 contract.
This type of contract doesn’t guarantee a roster spot but allows NBA teams to bring in additional players without ensuring they make the final lineup. If Bouknight secures a place on the Blazers’ final roster, the contract would convert into a standard minimum contract.
He joins fellow former Husky Donovan Clingan in Portland. It is anticipated that Bouknight will be waived by the Blazers, but the team will keep his rights for a potential G-League assignment.
Bouknight played for the Huskies from 2019 to 2021, averaging 14 points per game over his two seasons. He earned first-team All-Big East honors during his sophomore year, averaging 18.7 points.
He was selected by the Charlotte Hornets as the 11th overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft. The 6-foot-4 guard spent two and a half seasons with the Hornets before being waived on February 8.
Bouknight has faced some legal issues off the court. In 2022, he was arrested in North Carolina for driving while impaired, allegedly hitting two police vehicles while having a gun in the car. He was released on a $ 2,500 bond, according to jail records. Prior to his freshman year at UConn, Bouknight was charged by campus police for multiple offenses, including evading responsibility, interfering with a police officer, speeding, and driving without a license, stemming from an incident on September 27, 2019.
Throughout his career, Bouknight has averaged 4.8 points, 1.7 rebounds, 0.9 assists, and 11.4 minutes per game over 79 games with the Charlotte Hornets. In the 2023-24 season, he achieved a career-high shooting percentage of 43.3% from three-point range.
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