Justin Minaya strengthens blaugrana defense
FC Barcelona and Justin Minaya, the American player who also holds a Dominican passport, have reached an agreement on a contract that will keep him at the club until 30 June 2028. Supporters at the Palau Blaugrana will be able to enjoy the talents of a top-class defender for at least the next two seasons. The 27-year-old, who stands at 1.96m, brings plenty to the team game and is particularly renowned for his energy and intensity on defense.
This will be Minaya's first experience in European basketball, having previously developed his professional career in North America, where he played a total of 136 games across the NBA G League (79) and the NBA (57). He made his NBA debut with the Portland Trail Blazers.
Born in Harrington Park, New Jersey, on 26 March 1999, Minaya arrives in Barcelona to add versatility to the squad. One of his greatest strengths is his ability to defend naturally across positions one through four, combined with a strong work ethic and a team-first mentality. He also excels when playing without the ball and is particularly effective at attacking offensive rebounds.
Career start
After starting his career at Northern Valley High School, he took his first steps in college basketball at the University of South Carolina, playing for the Gamecocks between 2017 and 2021. His final stop before declaring for the 2022 NBA Draft was with the Providence Friars in Rhode Island during the 2021/22 season.
NBA with Portland Trail Blazers
Although he was not selected by any NBA franchise, he began his journey towards the NBA with the Mexico City Capitanes, the only NBA G League team not affiliated with an NBA club. It was there that he started to attract attention. He averaged 12.7 points, 4.4 rebounds and 2.1 steals per game. The latter statistic was particularly noteworthy, as he ranked as the third-best player in the league for steals, establishing himself as one of the competition's leading defensive specialists.
It was for this reason that the Portland Trail Blazers brought him into their organisation on 4 April 2023. It was a particularly significant day because it also marked his NBA debut, which came against the Memphis Grizzlies. Minaya played 17 minutes, recording eight points, four rebounds, two assists and one block. He went on to feature in four games before the end of the season, averaging 22.3 minutes, 4.3 points, 3.8 rebounds, one assist and 1.3 blocks per game.
Between the NBA and the G-League
After his first experiences in the NBA, Portland offered him a two-way contract, which was extended over two seasons (2023-25). During the 2023/24 season, Minaya played a total of 34 NBA games, averaging 1.8 points and 1.6 rebounds in 11.2 minutes per game. Meanwhile, with the Rip City Remix in the NBA G League, he averaged 32.4 minutes, contributing 16.2 points, 6.8 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 1.2 steals per game. In the 2024/25 season, he appeared in 19 NBA games and, in the G League, averaged 31 minutes per game, recording 11.7 points, 5.7 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 1.7 steals per contest.
Final stage before arriving in Barcelona
After the season ended, he signed a contract with the Orlando Magic, although he did not make an NBA appearance for the franchise. He then joined the Osceola Magic, where he regained a prominent role. He played 34 games, averaging 29.9 minutes, 9.8 points, 4.1 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 1.4 steals and 1.1 blocks per game.
His team qualified for the G League Play-offs, advancing all the way to the Eastern Conference Finals, where they were defeated 134-121 by the Greensboro Swarm, the team of his new Barça team-mate Tosan Evbuomwan.