The Portland Trail Blazers are set to offer Damian Lillard a massive extension
With their star healthy once again, the move to secure his services for the foreseeable future makes perfect sense for a team looking to do better.
It’s a big day in the NBA and rest assured there will be all kinds of moves occurring throughout the league today, but there is one in particular that has us very interested.
NBA Free Agency is upon us
It’s a period during the NBA offseason that always brings with it a fair share of surprises, twists and turns. It’s free agency time in the league and with the start of it just hours away things are starting to heat up. Indeed, there are a whole host of reports and rumors to sift through before the action gets underway at 6 p.m. ET. on Thursday evening. We’ve now seen James Harden opt out of his player option with a mind to extending his stay in Philly and we’ve also witnessed Dejounte Murray head off to the Hawks, but let’s take a look at one of the big names out there who in recent times was said to be unhappy, Damian Lillard.
Blazers to offer Damian Lillard huge extension
To say the last season was disappointing for the Blazers would be a bit of an understatement. Among varying problems that the team faced, one that most definitely has to be at the center of it all was the abdominal problem and subsequent surgery that franchise star Damian Lillard faced. Indeed, there was even talk at one point that Lillard wanted out, but with the 6 time NBA All-Star healthy once again, there seems to be a new wind blowing through Portland.
Not only are the Blazers set to rebuild the roster - something sure to give Lillard confidence - but reports also indicate that they are going to offer the former NBA Rookie of the Year a two year extension that is said to be worth in excess of $100 million. Lillard who is currently in the middle of a four year deal that runs through to 2025 - it includes a player option for the final season - has been at the center of intense speculation about his future after the Blazers came to a disappointing end this past season. Should he sign the aforementioned contract, it would tie him to Portland right up to 2027. This is an interesting point because realistically it would mean that Lillard would likely finish his career with the Blazers. Having never made any push for a trade, it stands to reason that barring such a situation, Lillard is in fact happy where he is and likely to stay that way should the Blazers make good on their promises.
Damian Lillard wants to see change
While the contract will likely bring Lillard some degree of joy - assuming he signs it - it is clear that this isn’t just about money. As one can imagine, Lillard is well aware of his worth and we don’t just mean in terms of money. The Blazers star is one of the league’s best and understandably wants to be doing what the best do, which is to say compete for titles.
To that end, as shocking as it may have been when he recently courted controversy by posting a photo of Kevin Durant next to himself in a Blazers jersey, the question remains whether or not it was really surprising. Durant has been in the middle of a precarious situation with the Brooklyn Nets having admitted that he’s re-evaluating his options. With his friend and teammate Kyrie Irving having recently committed to the cause it’s quite likely that Durant is going nowhere, but where Lillard is concerned, his social post is worth noting as a sign of his desire to see the roster improved ahead of the next season. The Blazers would do well to pay attention.