Portland Trail Blazers: 5 possible two-way contract candidates

4. Ajdin Penava

Ajdin Penava is an under-the-radar prospect that some basketball observers have gotten excited about. Penava is a stretch-big that hails from Bosnia and Herzegovina. He has spent the last three seasons playing collegiately at Marshall.

Last season, Penava helped his team to a Conference USA title and their first NCAA Tournament appearance in 31 seasons. In their first Tournament game, he chipped in 16 points and eight rebounds to help the Thundering Herd push past Wichita State in an upset.

Penava is 6’9″ and 215 pounds with extensive wingspan. This allowed him to become Division I’s top rejector last season, averaging 3.9 blocks per game. Additionally, he is a really good playmaker for a player his size. He has shown on multiple occasions his ability to make the nifty pass and bring the ball up the floor on his own after collecting the defensive rebound.

Despite his skill-set, Penava was not selected in the 2018 NBA Draft. He signed on to play with the Washington Wizards in the Summer League. He saw little playing time, logging nearly 13 total minutes and making one field goal across two appearances.

Ajdin Penava is a tall, lanky big man with the ability to pass and handle the ball well. He could be a diamond in the rough, and Portland signing him to a two-way deal would re-connect him with fellow countryman Jusuf Nurkic. Penava will be at the upcoming G League Player Invitational in Chicago, so he will have another chance to show league scouts, and the Blazers, what he has to offer.