On Tuesday, the Portland Trail Blazers waived MarJon Beauchamp, who was on a non-guaranteed training camp deal. This move may be more than just a bump in the road for Beauchamp. It could mark the conclusion
of his NBA career.
Beauchamp, of course, was Milwaukee’s 24th overall pick back in the 2022 NBA draft. It wasn’t viewed as a home-run choice in the moment, but there was reason for optimism. The athletic tools and natural aptitude, especially as a scorer, have been there for MarJon from the beginning. He was just always going to be more of a project pick than some of his peers. A more NBA-ready prospect, like Christian Braun or Jake LaRavia, could have been a better pick for the contending Bucks, but they were off the board. Jon Horst has proven to be a big-swing taker, and again, there were reasons to be optimistic about Beauchamp.
Unfortunately, things never panned out for Beauchamp in Milwaukee. The G League Ignite product was given ample playing time early on, even starting 11 games as a rookie, but he was never able to find a go-to skill or a comfortable role. He flashed impressive play, delivering some highlight scoring performances, but they rarely felt impactful. He fell behind in the rotation over time and adopted a “get mine” mentality in the short stints he would play in blowouts. To be clear, Beauchamp never looked like a bad player. Many players less talented than him have come and gone in this league. He just never assimilated himself into the life of a role player, and doing so was his key to sticking around.
Ultimately, the Beauchamp experiment in Milwaukee ended with him being flipped to the Clippers in exchange for Kevin Porter Jr. last February, which has looked like a major steal for the Bucks so far. MarJon played just three games for LA, and they waived him in less than a month. He latched on with the Knicks after that, inking a two-way deal that saw him log 2.8 MPG late in the 2024–25 regular season. Going there probably wasn’t the best decision for him— Tom Thibodeau infamously ignores bench guys. Still, he stayed with New York for the 2025 Summer League, where he showed out statistically, averaging 14.8 PPG. However, in those games, he was acting like a star, taking on heavy on-ball duties and hunting difficult shots. That’s just not what teams will want to see from him at this point, but he seemingly hasn’t realized it yet.
Now that he’s been waived, there are a couple potential pathways on the table for Beauchamp. He could join the Rip City Remix (Portland’s G League affiliate) and try to earn a two-way contract during the season: the 25-year-old has one more year of two-way eligibility. He’s played well in the G throughout his career, averaging 16.7 points in 33 games, but again, NBA teams won’t be looking for him to be an on-ball bucket-getter. The other main option for Beauchamp is to go overseas, which truly might be what’s best for him and his career. In another league, he could be the man, and he definitely has the skillset to achieve stardom across the water. Jordan Nwora, another former Buck with a love for volume scoring, went to Israel last year and became a featured piece of his new club. Beauchamp could follow in his footsteps.
An NBA comeback doesn’t have to be completely off the table for MarJon. Gaining experience elsewhere and learning more about what it means to be a pro could help him get back in the league in the future, a la Guerschon Yabuesle and Dante Exum. For now, though, it’s unlikely Beauchamp finds himself on another roster after being cut. His story is a bummer, but it’s still being written. The next chapter could be a happy one if it takes place in a new setting.
