Having already three former NBA players this summer, Spanish giants Barcelona are reportedly about to add a fourth. Former Portland Trail Blazers wing Justin Minaya is set to continue his career in Europe, with Barcelona said to be closing in on a deal to add the 27-year-old to its extensively rebuilt roster.
According to multiple reports out of Spain and Europe, Barcelona is finalising an agreement with Minaya, with all indications being that the move is at an advanced stage. The signing is expected to be formally announced in the coming days and would give Minaya his first experience playing professionally in Europe, after three seasons in Portland, and four as a pro.
👉 El @FCBbasket és a prop d’incorporar l’aler JUSTIN MINAYA
👉 27 anys i metre 96, prové de la G-League, on ha jugat l’última temporada amb els Osceola Magic
👉 Ha estat internacional amb la República Dominicana
#brac1
Minaya’s Blazers’ Career
Minaya spent parts of three NBA seasons with Portland between 2022 and 2025, appearing in 57 games, and averaging ten minutes per contest. Although he never became a regular part of the rotation, his defensive ability helped him repeatedly earn opportunities with the franchise while spending much of his time on two-way contracts.
Across those 57 NBA appearances, Minaya averaged 1.7 points and 1.4 rebounds per game, shooting 31.4% from the field and 23.9% from three-point range. His most substantial NBA role came during the 2023-24 season, when he appeared 34 times and averaged 11.2 minutes per game, earning time for his defensive impact. Offensive limitations prevented him from earning a permanent rotation role, but Minaya established considerably more value through his work on the unglamorous end.
At 6’5 with a decent wingspan, Minaya has the size and physicality to defend multiple perimeter positions, thriving in the passing lanes while also able to step up to play impactful point-of-attack defense against opposing ball-handlers of all types and sizes. His rebounding, activity and ability to generate steals have been consistent features of his game, and that reputation was established before he reached Portland.
Minaya played four college seasons at South Carolina before using his additional year of eligibility at Providence in 2021-22. He averaged 6.5 points and 5.5 rebounds for a Friars team that went 27-6, won the Big East regular-season title and reached the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament. Minaya went undrafted in the 2022 NBA Draft anyway, as befits a fifth-year senior with no obvious shot profile at the next level, but he played his way in anyway. Coaches, as always, love willing defenders.
Never Quite Enough Of A Shooter
Minaya initially played Summer League basketball with the Charlotte Hornets before joining the Mexico City Capitanes of the G League. During his first professional season, he averaged 8.2 points, 3.9 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 1.9 steals in 32.4 minutes per game, finishing tied for third in the G League with 57 steals and tied for 11th with 37 blocked shots. Portland signed him to a 10-day contract in April 2023, and that brief audition was enough to keep him within the organisation.
After Portland established the Rip City Remix as its own G League affiliate the following season, the Remix acquired Minaya’s returning-player rights from Mexico City in October 2023. The Blazers subsequently signed him to a two-way contract, beginning a two-season spell in which he moved regularly between Portland and the G League, and re-signed him to another for the 2024-25 season.
Minaya’s NBA opportunities, however, diminished during his final season with the Blazers. He appeared 19 more times in 2024-25 but averaged only 5.3 minutes, scoring 0.9 points per game. He shot 38.1% from the field but only 20.0% from three, and Portland did not retain him. Back to the G League for a fourth season in 2025-26 – but this time, without a two-way deal – Minaya spent time with the Orlando Magic before playing for their affiliate, the Osceola Magic, but posted career-low numbers across the board. As impressive as the defense could be, the offensive improvements never came.
Barcelona might not need them to.
Minaya
If completed, Minaya will become the club’s 11th addition of the summer. Barcelona has already added Justin Robinson, Umoja Gibson, Agustín Ubal, Stanley Umude, Tyrese Martin, Tosan Evbuomwan, Yoan Makoundou, Olivier Nkamhoua, Olek Balcerowski and Josh Nebo as part of a near-total reconstruction under head coach Aleksander Sekulic.
The club had previously been expected to use its final addition on another interior player, but the arrival of Makoundou changed that plan. Minaya instead gives Barcelona another athletic wing for a roster being constructed around greater pace, physicality and defensive versatility. Minaya also has an important administrative advantage; born in New Jersey, he is the son of former New York Mets general manager Omar Minaya and holds a Dominican passport, allowing him to qualify under the Cotonou agreement and therefore not occupy one of Barcelona’s limited non-EU roster places in Spain’s Liga Endesa. The move could be the start of a decade-long high-level European and/or Spanish career as a result.
Minaya was good enough defensively to remain on the Blazers’ radar for three seasons, but his shooting – particularly his career 23.9% mark from three in the NBA from a primary shooting position – made it difficult to establish a larger role. At Barcelona, though, there should be less pressure on Minaya to supply offence and greater scope to use the defensive attributes that have sustained his professional career. After four seasons moving between the Trail Blazers and the G League, Minaya now appears ready to exchange that uncertainty for a significant role with one of Europe’s biggest clubs. As well he should.
Former Blazers Wing to Sign in Spain