Former Pitt F Blake Hinson Scores Double Digits in NBA Debut
A few days after signing a two-way deal with the Utah Jazz, former Pitt forward Blake Hinson made his NBA debut.
After bouncing around the G League over the last two years, Hinson has landed with the Jazz and received his first NBA game action against the Portland Trail Blazers on Thursday.
In 24 minutes of work, Hinson scored 11 points on 4-of-7 shooting from the field. He went 3-of-6 from beyond the arc. He also added a rebound and steal as the Jazz fell to Portland, 135-119.
Four days prior to his NBA debut, Hinson signed a two-way deal with the Jazz after starting the season with the G League’s Rip City Remix.
Prior to the deal, Hinson was averaging 21.9 points and 5.7 rebounds in 35 minutes per game with Rip City. He shot 44.1 percent from the floor and 32.5 percent from deep with an average of 3.6 threes per game.
Last week, Hinson was selected as a 2026 NBA G League Next Up Player and a contestant in the 3-point contest. The Next Up Game, taking place on Feb. 15, is hosted as a part of the NBA All-Star weekend.
The 6-foot-8 Hinson started his professional career on a two-way deal with the Los Angeles Lakers after going undrafted in 2024. He then signed an Exhibit 10 contract with Golden State before being released prior to the season. He then joined Portland on an Exhibit 10 contract prior to this season.
Hinson spent his final two seasons playing at Pitt. He was named a First Team All-ACC selection during the 2023-24 season after averaging 18.5 points and 4.4 rebounds per game while starting all 33 contests. He set a Pitt record with 110 3-pointers during the season and 3.33 threes per game. He shot 45.4 percent from the field and 42.1 percent from three.
During the 2022-23 season, Hinson was a Second Team All-ACC selection. He scored 15.3 points per game with nine games of 20-plus points. He also recorded five double-doubles that season.
Prior to Pitt, he spent two years at Iowa State without appearing in a game. He started his career in 2019-20 at Ole Miss and played in 28 games with 10.1 points per.
Overall in his collegiate career, Hinson scored 1,707 points with an average of 13.2 points and 4.5 rebounds per game.
