CEBL MVP MOORE SIGNS CONTRACT WITH NBA’S PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS

Vancouver Bandits guard and reigning Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) Most Valuable Player Tazé Moore has signed a two-way contract with the NBA’s Portland Trail Blazers for the upcoming season, becoming the 18th player to be added to an NBA roster after playing in the CEBL.

The list includes Scarborough’s Jackson Rowe and Saskatchewan’s Elijah Harkless who reportedly signed Exhibit 10 contracts with the Golden State Warriors and LA Clippers, respectively, earlier this summer. A.J. Lawson also became the first CEBL player to sign a standard NBA contract in March and went on to play in the NBA Finals with the Dallas Mavericks.

Moore, 26, helped lead the Bandits to a league-best 14-6 record and a berth in the Championship Final in his first CEBL season in 2024. The eventual league MVP made major contributions in numerous stat categories for the Bandits, finishing first in league average in assists (7.3), third in rebounds (8.1), fourth in steals (1.6) and 10th in points (17.6).

The 6-foot-5 guard’s 124 total assists were the second-most in a single season in CEBL history and he became the first player to record two triple-doubles in the same regular season. His first triple-double on June 13 was the first in Bandits’ history and part of a historic night that saw Moore score a franchise-record 35 points, while adding 16 rebounds and 11 assists in a win over Winnipeg.

“The plan when we met Tazé was to help him advance his opportunities in the NBA,” said Head Coach and General Manager of the Bandits, Kyle Julius. “He worked extremely hard before and after every practice, never complained once all summer and led our team with maturity and poise. The sky truly is the limit for Tazé.”

The full list of players that have signed NBA deals after playing in the CEBL includes Cat Barber, Javin DeLaurier, Treveon Graham, Elijah Harkless, Jalen Harris, Nino Johnson, Kylor Kelley, AJ Lawson, Scottie Lindsey, Xavier Moon, Tazé Moore, EJ Onu, Jackson Rowe, Trevon Scott, Xavier Sneed, DJ Steward, Christian Vital and Lindell Wigginton.

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About the CEBL

A league created by Canadians for Canadians with a mission to develop Canadian players, coaches, sports executives, and referees, the CEBL boasts the highest percentage of Canadian players of any pro league in the country with 75% of its rosters being Canadian and a record 12 players with NBA experience in 2024. Players also bring experience from the NBA G League, top international pro leagues, the Canadian National team program, NCAA programs, as well as U SPORTS and CCAA. Eighteen players have signed NBA contracts following a CEBL season, and numerous CEBL players attend NBA G League training camps every year. The CEBL season runs from May through August with games broadcast live on CEBL+ powered by BetVictor, TSN, TSN+, RDS, Game+, Next Level Sports & Entertainment and Courtside1891. More information about the CEBL is available at CEBL.ca and @cebleague on Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, LinkedIn, Facebook & YouTube.