When the NBA instituted two-way contracts prior to the 2017-18 season, teams were quick to jump on the new opportunity, and the Portland Trail Blazers were no exception. The team signed both Wade Baldwin IV and CJ Wilcox to deals, and while Wilcox never appeared in a Blazers uniform, Baldwin made the most of his chance. His contract was made guaranteed before the end of the season, and he established himself as a defensive stopper and spark plug off the bench, even earning minutes in the playoffs.
Baldwin then signed an extension this summer, making him one of the best success stories of the new system.