ESPN's Shams Charania reports that Portland Trail Blazers forward Toumani Camara has agreed to a four-year, $82 million contract extension. Considering Camara was already an All-Defensive selection last season and continues to show promising signs of development on the offensive end, this contract was an absolute steal for the Blazers.
Toumani Camara's extension gives Blazers room to retain young core
This offseason, the majority of the talk surrounding a potential contract extension for the Blazers pertained to Shaedon Sharpe. Many suggested that Sharpe would command a deal in the range of four years, $100 million. That could still be the case, as the Blazers have until Monday at 3 p.m. PT to extend their high-flyer. But Portland's front office somehow managed to sign Camara for $18 million less than Sharpe's projections -- and Camara is a better player!
Note: Shaedon Sharpe has now also agreed to a four-year, $90 million extension, per Charania.
Last season, Camara averaged 11.3 points, 5.8 rebounds, 2.2 assists, and 1.5 steals on 46/38/72 shooting splits. Those numbers don't even paint the entire picture, as Camara's two-way impact as an elite and versatile defender gave him a case to be considered the best player on Portland's entire roster.
Considering what deals go for these days, signing Camara for anything less than $25 million annually is incredible value for Portland. However, it's also worth noting that Camara was only eligible to sign for up to four years and $87 million, according to ESPN's Bobby Marks.
It's amazing they were able to go below that by $5 million, as I absolutely would've given Camara the full $87 million and not blinked twice. Part of the reason that Portland was able to get Camara to sign off on this deal was that he previously had a $2.4 million team option in 2026-27. Instead, that contract will now be replaced with the first year of the extension.
It's a savvy move for Portland as they secure another key building block for the long haul. In addition to this Camara extension, the Blazers also have one of the best contracts in the entire association in Deni Avdija, who is on the books through 2027-28. Those are two versatile wings that Portland specifically targeted via trade the past few seasons, and both have helped catalyze this newfound identity of a roster now built around length, athleticism, and defense.
It was even more essential that the Blazers were able to secure Camara for such a team-friendly deal, considering they have two overpaid veterans on the roster, Jerami Grant and Jrue Holiday. Having these wings will help offset that to a certain extent and make it that much easier when Portland needs to retain the rest of its promising young core. The future is bright in Rip City.