Steph Chambers/Getty Images
The Portland Trail Blazers and point
guard Damian Lillard are reportedly close to coming to terms on a two-year max contract extension.
According to Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium, the extension will keep Lillard under contract through the 2026-27 season. ESPN’s Bobby Marks reported that the extension is worth $122 million.
Bobby Marks @BobbyMarks42
Here is the Lillard contract breakdown:<br><br>Current contract<br><br>22-23: $42.5M<br>23-24: $45.6M<br>24-25: $48.8M<br><br>Extension*<br><br>25-26: $58.5M<br>26-27: $63.3M (P)<br><br>The extension numbers could be adjusted based on the salary cap in 2025-26. It cannot exceed 35% of the cap for that season.
Lillard has spent his entire career
with the Blazers since the organization selected him out of Weber
State with the sixth overall pick in the 2012 NBA draft.
The six-time All-Star has averaged 24.6
points, 6.6 assists, 4.2 rebounds and 3.0 threes in 711 appearances
across 10 seasons in Portland. He’s shot 43.7 percent from the field,
including 37.3 percent from beyond the arc.
He’s been the focus of trade rumors at
times over the past few years, but he reaffirmed his commitment to the
Blazers in April.
“I have no plans of not being a
Portland Trail Blazer,” Lillard told CNBC’s Jabari Young. “I want
to be here, and I think they want me here.”
The 31-year-old California native is a
six-time All-NBA selection, including selection to the First Team
following the 2017-18 campaign. He added a gold medal to his list of accolades as part of Team USA at the 2021 Summer Olympics
Now, with an extension in place to keep
him in Portland for the foreseeable future, the question is whether
the team’s front office can build a championship-level roster around
him.
It appeared the Blazers were trending
toward title contention when they reached the 2019 Western Conference
Finals, but they’ve failed to advance beyond the first round of the
playoffs since that point. They missed the playoffs last season.
A series of roster changes have
occurred, highlighted by the departure of CJ McCollum, Lillard’s
longtime backcourt running mate, in a February trade with the New
Orleans Pelicans.
Dealing Lillard would have indicated
the start of a full-scale rebuild, but instead, the Blazers have
doubled down on their commitment to one of the league’s top point
guards.
Now work must be done on the rest of
the roster if a return to title contention is in the cards.
For all the latest Sports News Click Here
For the latest news and updates, follow us on Google News.
