The Portland Trail Blazers front office has been doing some great work over the past year, as they traded away CJ McCollum for starter Josh Hart and other pieces, moved some picks for Pistons forward Jerami Grant, and added both Shaedon Sharpe and Gary Payton II in the off-season, and just two days ahead of the season opening game with the Sacramento Kings, they’ve made another solid move.
Portland Trail Blazers F Nassir Little has agreed on a four-year, $28M extension, sources tell ESPN.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) October 17, 2022
According to ESPN NBA Insider Adrian Wojnarowski, Forward Nassir Little has today agreed with the Blazers on a 4-year, $28 million deal, all of which is guaranteed, and while he may likely be coming off the bench behind 2021 acquisition Hart, he is going to play a key role for this team in 2022. The 22-year old was drafted No. 25 overall by the Blazers back in 2019, and with three years under his belt, he’s ready to step up and contribute to a winning team, and although he may not see 25 MPG again like he did in 2021, Little has the ability to be a piece of a winning team in 2022, who could potentially improve on career highs across the board from a year ago.
With the scoring potential of this starting lineup, Little’s opportunities will no doubt diminish after last season, where the team played 62 without All-NBA star Damian Lillard, but if he can increase his efficiency and begin to effect the game in other ways, he will be a valuable piece off this bench, which will also likely include Payton II and Sharpe. The deal is a good one as well, considering the precedent that has been set with other contracts around the NBA, as he is still young and has the potential to grow into a solid starter one day.
The Blazers roster in 2022 is unpredictable, as the offence could carry them to plenty of wins, and with Lillard leading the way once more, this team could be very good, and if players like Little, Drew Eubanks and Trendon Watford can stand up, we could certainly be looking at a solid playoff team.