On Oct. 19, the Portland Trail Blazers signed its second two-way player, Wade Baldwin IV. Three days earlier, Baldwin was waived by the Memphis Grizzlies. He was Memphis’s selection in the 2016 NBA draft (No. 17 overall).
Less than a week later, the new signee underwent surgery on his right thumb. The surgery fixed an ulnar collateral ligament tear and produced a timetable of roughly six weeks. Baldwin joined the other two-way Blazer, C.J. Wilcox, in missing time due to surgery.
These injuries delayed Baldwin and Wilcox from being assigned to a G-League affiliate.