Former Wildcat Andrew Carr looks like he could have a future in the NBA after signing an Exhibit 10 contract with the Portland Trail Blazers. With his playing style, he could end up becoming an important piece for them in the future.

When the Trail Blazers signed Carr, they picked up a player with the potential to become a key rotational piece in the future.

At 6’10”, Carr has the potential to become a stretch-five at the NBA level — very much in the mold of players like Al Horford. He’s rangey, has the size to pick up and switch onto multiple players, and possesses the range to stretch the court to it’s fullest.

You saw that shooting on display throughout his college career, with Carr featuring primarily as a power forward. He’s a 34% career shooter from three, which is something he could very much carry over to the NBA level.

Furthermore, his rebounding also proves that he could feature as a stretch big. With 5.4 rebounds per game throughout his college career (and 4.7 in Lexington primarily as a big wing), Carr can get into the paint and be an effective rebounder — particularly in short spurts.

The main issue is getting in with the Trail Blazers. Portland has drafted a center in the first round in back to back years — taking UConn legend Donovan Clingan last year and Chinese star Yang “The Big Tariff” Hansen. Both players fit a similar archetype to a superstar like Nikola Jokic: a lanky big man that can pass like no other and can stretch the court without sacrificing interior prowess.

Carr… is not that. But that may be a good thing for him. The Wildcat could give Portland a different look off the bench, which could earn him minutes down the road.

Furthermore, with Clingan and Hansen being such similar players, it’s unlikely that Portland retains both of them long-term. Each would cut into the other’s minutes, and being that the do the same thing on the court it’s much more likely that one leaves — opening up a place for Carr as a stretch-five in the Trail Blazers’ rotation.

While it’s very likely he plays the foreseeable future in the G-League, Carr could end up carving out a significant role off the bench for Portland.