Blazers' Chris Youngblood Makes Stunning NBA Contract Push as Portland Faces Tough Decision

Chris Youngblood played 15 minutes against the Denver Nuggets, finished plus-22 and scored the fourth-quarter basket that put the Portland Trail Blazers ahead for good. He then played a key role against the OKC Thunder in a dominant win. 

Had Ja Morant been healthy ... there's a chance he wouldn't have played at all.

Youngblood, who joined Portland on a two-way contract in March after being waived by Oklahoma City, has taken advantage of the opportunity Morant's hamstring injury created to earn meaningful minutes under Micah Nori.

Now, the 24-year-old is making a case for something more permanent — even as the eventual return of those injured guards threatens to make his opportunity disappear.

His performance against Denver on Nov. 2 offered the strongest evidence that he might belong.

Youngblood scored seven points and grabbed a fourth-quarter offensive rebound before putting it back to give Portland a 91-89 lead it wouldn't surrender.

He followed with another seven points against the Lakers before scoring a career-high 11 in Saturday's loss to San Antonio, although that last performance came in nearly 30 minutes during a 22-point defeat.

Through five appearances, Youngblood is averaging 5.6 points while shooting 31.6 percent from three. Of his 22 field-goal attempts, 19 have come from beyond the arc.

Portland already has Jrue Holiday, Scoot Henderson and Deni Avdija handling the ball, with Morant eventually expected to rejoin that group. Another guard who needs possessions to create offense isn't exactly a priority.

Youngblood understands where he fits. He's willing to defend difficult matchups, operate without the ball and fire away when given an opening. That combination, if executed consistently, could make him more useful than his scoring average suggests.

But Portland already employs other players capable of filling similar responsibilities.

Vít Krejčí offers a 6-foot-8 frame and experience as a secondary ball handler.

Sidy Cissoko, averaging 21.3 minutes through nine games, brings more physicality on the wing and an ability to attack the basket. Nori has specifically praised Cissoko's ability to get downhill rather than simply relying on outside shots.

Youngblood's role is more specialized, which leaves him less room for error.

He'll need to make enough of those open threes to justify his minutes ... and that's a much tougher assignment when other reserves can contribute in different ways.

As Jason Quick reported in The Athletic on Tuesday, Youngblood was pulled just 1:18 into the fourth quarter against Phoenix after Nori took issue with his defense. The same coach willing to assign him Jamal Murray and Luka Dončić won't hesitate to sit him when the execution isn't there.

The Blazers currently carry 14 players on standard contracts, leaving an available roster spot. NBA rules allow two-way players to be active for up to 50 regular-season games, meaning Portland would eventually need to convert Youngblood's deal to keep using him beyond that limit.

But with just five appearances and 67 minutes under his belt, making that commitment now would be premature.

Portland can evaluate Youngblood without immediately sacrificing its final roster spot, which could prove useful for another addition later in the season.

His reputation as a shooter has yet to translate into consistent NBA production, and defensive effort alone won't separate him from Portland's other reserves.

Still, he's already accomplished something that seemed unlikely when the Thunder released him nine months ago. He's playing meaningful minutes for a winning team, with a coach who trusts him enough to keep testing him.

Nori doesn't need Youngblood to become another star. What Portland could use is someone who remains valuable when those stars are healthy.

The Blazers can afford to leave their 15th roster spot open. Youngblood doesn't have that same luxury ... not when every returning guard threatens to take away another opportunity to prove he belongs.

The real deadline isn't written into his contract. It's whenever the injured guards start taking their minutes back.