Toumani Camara has agreed to a four-year, $82 million contract extension with the Portland Trail Blazers, ESPN's Shams Charania reports. It's an incredible value for the Blazers, and it makes their decision to trade for Camara look even better.
Portland initially landed Camara as part of the blockbuster three-team Damian Lillard trade, sending Jusuf Nurkic, Nassir Little, and Keon Johnson over to the Phoenix Suns in exchange for Deandre Ayton and Camara. The headliners were the swapping of two centers who could benefit from a change of scenery, particularly in Ayton's case, as his stint with Phoenix didn't go according to plan relative to expectations of a former No. 1 overall pick.
Now, Camara is the only piece remaining with the team he was dealt to in the Suns-Blazers part of the trade. That may come as a surprise to some, considering Camara was a No. 52 overall draft selection. But the Blazers did their predraft homework with Camara and specifically targeted him for inclusion as part of this Ayton package.
Toumani Camara's extension proves Portland's homework paid off
Portland clearly liked what they saw in the predraft evaluation process, but even they have to be amazed at how well this trade has aged for them. Camara already has an NBA All-Defensive selection on his resume, and the fact that an $82 million contract should be considered team-friendly for someone who almost went undrafted just two years ago goes to show how quickly he's ascended.
Part of the reason this trade looks even better is that Portland took on Camara's initial contract. ESPN's Bobby Marks notes that Camara was only eligible to sign for up to $87 million, leaving "just" $5 million on the table. Portland was able to pull off a team-friendly deal of this nature because Camara had a $2.4 million team option in the 2026-27 season. So, that team option year will now be replaced with the first year of this extension, which is a win-win for both Camara and the Blazers.
Portland has benefited from Camara's unique background in unexpected ways. He's 25 years old, and that long collegiate career allowed him to make an immediate impact for cheap, eventually earning a spot in Portland's starting unit. Typically, the combination of Camara's age and draft pedigree would suggest that he's already reached his ceiling as a player. But the best part of this for Portland is that Camara is just scratching the surface of the player he can become, particularly on the offensive end. He played the four and five throughout college and is still adjusting to playing the wing at the next level.
That untapped potential doesn't even seem to be baked into this contract. And even just considering the player Camara currently is, $82 million is an absolute steal. The fact that he's the exact player archetype this guard-heavy, offensive-minded Suns roster is missing makes it that much more regrettable from Phoenix's standpoint.
Thanks to their lopsided trades for Camara and Deni Avdija, the Blazers now have two key building blocks that are also on some of the best contracts in the association.