PORTLAND, Ore. (July 13, 2022) – The Portland Trail Blazers have signed rookie forward Jabari Walker to a standard NBA contract, it was announced today by General Manager Joe Cronin. Per team policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Walker, 19, was selected by Portland with the 57th overall pick of the 2022 NBA Draft. He has played in three games for the Trail Blazers at the 2022 NBA Summer League, posting averages of 13.0 points (68.2% FG, 37.5% 3-PT, 66.7% FT), 8.3 rebounds and 1.0 assist in 19.6 minutes per game.
Walker (6-9, 215) played two seasons at Colorado where he averaged 11.5 points (47.9% FG, 39.9% 3-PT, 78.3% FT), 7.2 rebounds and 0.9 assists in 59 games (33 starts). He was named All-Pac-12 First Team as a sophomore in 2021-22 after averaging 14.6 points (fourth in the Pac-12) and 9.4 rebounds (first in the Pac-12) to go with 1.2 assists in 33 games (all starts). He recorded 17 double-doubles in 2021-22, ranking 10th among all NCAA Division 1 players and leading the Pac-12 Conference. Walker was a 2020-21 Pac-12 Conference All-Freshman Team selection after averaging 7.6 points and 4.3 rebounds during his first collegiate campaign.
A native of Wichita, Kansas, Walker is the son of 10-year NBA veteran Samaki Walker.