PORTLAND, Oregon — Former Gonzaga guard Malachi Smith is staying in the northwest. Smith is expected to sign an exhibit 10 contract with the Portland Trail Blazers, per a Twitter report from @AjaxBasketball.
An Exhibit 10 deal is a league minimum salary contract that can be turned into a two-way deal if done before the season begins.
Smith was the 2023 WCC Sixth Man of the Year. He shot 50% from three-point range this past season.
Smith averaged 8.7 points and 3.7 rebounds per game off the bench for the Zags.
He scored a season-high 27 points and tied a career-high with seven made threes against Portland on January 14th.
Smith came to Gonzaga after stops at Wright State and Chattanooga.
He was a guy that some expected to return to Gonzaga, but for him, the decision to pursue the NBA came down to having faith in his ability.
"I just felt like at some point, if you believe in yourself and you think you're good enough, you know, you can't just hold back that process," said Smith. "It's just going to hurt you, so I just really felt like I was ready to go prove myself."
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