Former Blazer Inks Deal with Turkish Club to Continue Hoops Career

The veteran ex-Blazer is moving on from the NBA — so far.

Apr 9, 2023; Portland, Oregon, USA; Golden State Warriors point guard Stephen Curry (30) shoots the ball against Portland Trail Blazers guard Skylar Mays (8, left) and forward John Butler Jr. (21) during the first half at Moda Center. Mandatory Credit: Soobum Im-Imagn Images / Soobum Im-Imagn Images

After being officially waived by the Minnesota Timberwolves ahead of the official start of the 2024-25 regular season (he was an Exhibit 10 training camp signing, and a long shot to make the actual roster), former 2023-24 Portland Trail Blazers combo guard Skylar Mays is now free to sign on with Turkish team Fenerbahçe Beko — per Eurohoops and Donatas Urbonas of BasketNews.

The 6-foot-4 vet, 27, spent 2022-23 and half of his 2023-24 seasons with the Trail Blazers as a two-way player, suiting up for both Portland itself and its G League affiliate, the Rip City Remix. Last year, Mays appeared in 21 contests (five starts) with Portland, averaging 6.3 points on .483/.286/.765 shooting splits, 3.6 assists, 1.8 rebounds, and 0.7 steals a night. Mays didn't actually play any for the Remix, though. Still, when he has appeared in regular season G League contests for the Skyhawks, DelaBlue Coats, Mexico City Capitanes and South Bay Lakers, Mays has been solid.

For his regular season NBAGL career, Mays is averaging 19.6 points on .450/.324/.871 shooting splits, 6.1 assists, 5.4 rebounds, and 1.1 steals a night.

Portland waived him in January, and he subsequently inked a two-way deal with the Los Angeles Lakers, meaning he was to be toggled between L.A.'s G League affiliate, the South Bay Lakers.

Mays was selected with the No. 50 pick in the second round of the 2020 NBA Draft by the Atlanta Hawks. During his four seasons with the LSU Tigers, Mays made a pair of All-SEC appearances. He played for Atlanta on a pair of two-way contracts, in 2020-21 and 2021-22. At the end of his second season being explored on both Atlanta and its NGAL affiliate, the College Park Skyhawks,

Portland certainly has a fair share of guards already rostered, so it makes sense that a reunion wasn't going to be on the cards.

The Trail Blazers boast a variety of interesting guards already, making Hays essentially expendable even as early as last season.

Portland's 2024-25 season without Mays hasn't gone well — but tt's exactly the plan for a beleaguered club embracing the tank and (hopefully) lining itself up for a massive talent upgrade through the 2025 NBA Draft this summer. The Trail Blazers have long been a fairlly irrelevant team. But clearly the club is doing whatever it can to maximize young pieces.

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