Orioles Believe Pat Connaughton Has MLB Future

The Baltimore Orioles are still hopeful 2014 fourth-round pick Pat Connaughton could make a move to Major League Baseball after spending the last two years with the Portland Trail Blazers in the NBA.

"The Orioles believe he has a good future in baseball," Orioles vice president of baseball operations Dan Duquette said, according to the Baltimore Sun's Jon Meoli. "He's a terrific athlete, has a world of talent. A good competitor. So whenever he wants to apply his skills full time, I think he can come quick—to the major leagues—because he's such a gifted athlete."

On Monday, Connaughton hinted at possibly cutting his basketball career short if he didn't see a viable path forward.

"I'm not going to unrealistically chase a dream if it appears that dream is getting farther and farther away," he said, according to MLB Network Radio.

A 2015 second-round pick, Connaughton played 8.1 minutes per game over the course of 39 appearances last season. During those brief stretches, he notched averages of 2.5 points and 1.3 rebounds.

Looking ahead, Connaughton's future with the Blazers appears cloudy.

Although he's technically under contract, Portland could get out of the nonguaranteed $1.4 million he's due next season if he's waived before July 15, according to Spotrac.