Portland Trail Blazers will not give rookie extension to Zach Collins

The Portland Trail Blazers were unable to agree to a contract extension with Zach Collins. But his agent is happy with where Collins stands with the team.

Zach Collins and the Portland Trail Blazers have been unable to agree to a rookie contract extension. The NBA’s collective bargaining agreement states that the cutoff for rookie extensions is the final day before the season commences on the year before the final year of the player’s deal.

Collins’ agent, Mark Bertelstein, wasn’t concerned though when he was asked to comment on the contract situation by Hoops Hype.

"“Neil and I have talked quite a bit about Zach, and there’s no question how strongly the Blazers feel about him,” agent Mark Bartelstein of Priority Sports told HoopsHype. “We both feel that an extension probably just doesn’t make sense at this time based on Zach not having a chance to play as much last year due to his injuries. Everyone’s focus right now is on getting Zach back to full health and having a terrific season, and then Neil and I will sit down and get to work on a contract this summer.”"

Blazers beat writer Jason Quick of The Athletic also confirmed this in a tweet.

This means now for Collins that he has the next season to prove himself and then hit restricted free agency in 2021. The Blazers are still heavily invested in Collins and his development, and they can match any offer that comes his way in 2021 free agency.

Collins is a key part of this Blazers team’s future. Though no extension was able to be finalized, both player and team committed to each other. Collins can now play his best ball when he returns this season to secure himself a nice payday in 9 months.