Brandon Roy Signs Extension With Blazers

Paul Allen is worth $10.5 billion and is regarded as one of the wealthiest people in the world. He co-founded Microsoft and currently owns three professional teams, the NFL's Seattle Seahawks, the MLS's Seattle Sounders, and the NBA's Portland Trail Blazers.

Translation: The Blazers are rich, amongst the wealthiest teams in the league.

So, when star guard Brandon Roy's agent, Bob Myers, calls Allen and General Manager Kevin Pritchard and asks that his client receive a five-year deal worth the maximum, Portland should immediately fork over the millions upon millions, right?

Money wasn't the issue.

It was the length. Roy wanted four years and a player option for a fifth year. Portland balked and was willing to offer four years not only without a player option, but a fifth year altogether. Roy’s camp was puzzled. This was the face of the Blazers franchise they were talking about.

After weeks of ongoing discussions, but no progress, the Blazers front office finally realized how much Roy meant to the team. He has won a countless number of games for Portland and has brought a winning attitude back to a franchise once in turmoil. He is irreplaceable.

Allen and Pritchard came to their senses and offered Roy the deal he wanted, the deal he deserved.

Yahoo! Sports' Adrian Wojnarowski reported that the Blazers and Roy have reached a verbal agreement on a five-year contract worth between $78 and $82 million. The fifth year, of course, is a player option, meaning he can choose to return for the final year or file for free agency.

This is a huge move for Portland, even though, despite some skepticism, it was imminent from the get-go.

Roy won't enter the final year of his rookie contract this season with doubts about his future with the Blazers. He won't have the chance to leave after the season and enter an already star-studded 2010 free-agent class. He won't be distracted. Now, he can just play relaxed and continue to be a star on the rise.

Roy's extension puts him under team control through the 2013-14 season. To me, that is not long enough. He's that good and that important to their success. Yet, Blazers fans can breathe a sigh of relief knowing their team’s star is staying for the large sum of $16.7 million per season.

In basketball money, Roy, nicknamed "The Natural" for obvious reasons, is worth every penny.

Now, with The Natural locked up, the Blazers can focus on signing power forward LaMarcus Aldridge, who, without a contract, would be entering the final year of his rookie deal. He is equally deserving of a maximum contract, but may have to settle for a deal worth $65-70 million since he's not quite on Roy's pedestal. But Portland undoubtedly should learn from the negotiations with Roy and give Aldridge what he wants.

After all, they can afford to with the obscenely rich Allen running the cash register.