Damian Lillard, Blazers Agree on New Contract: Latest Details and Reaction
Damian Lillard announced on Thursday that he agreed to terms on a five-year contract extension with the Portland Trail Blazers:
The star point guard was originally signed through next season, set to make $4.24 million in 2015-16, according to Spotrac.com. His new deal runs through the 2020-21 season. Yahoo Sports' Marc J. Spears has the latest contract figures:
Entering his fourth season, Lillard is a two-time All-Star. He has yet to miss a game while averaging 20.2 points and 6.1 assists per contest. Lillard finished fourth in the league among point guards with 21.0 points per game last season, trailing only scoring champion Russell Westbrook, NBA MVP Stephen Curry and Cleveland Cavaliers All-Star Kyrie Irving.
His new contract is history-making, according to the Plain Dealer's Chris Haynes:
The Blazers went 51-31 last season, finishing first in the Northwest Division. They were bounced out of the playoffs in the first round by the Memphis Grizzlies in five games.
But Lillard could be returning to a very different looking Blazers team. Though he might find himself surrounded by new faces next season, Haynes knows the Blazers have locked up their main man:
Among the changes made to the Blazers this offseason, forward Nicolas Batum was dealt to the Charlotte Hornets for Noah Vonleh and Gerald Henderson.
Batum was a member of the Blazers for seven seasons and a central figure on that roster despite seeing a dip in his numbers over the past two seasons.
Lillard also might be without forward LaMarcus Aldridge, guard Wesley Matthews and center Robin Lopez, who are testing the free-agency market. Aldridge is all but gone, as sources told ESPN.com's Marc Stein and Chris Broussard on June 24.
Matthews is being pursued by the Sacramento Kings, according to Stein, while ESPN.com's Ian Begley reported that Lopez met with the New York Knicks on Wednesday.
If those names jump town, Lillard is going to have a lot of pressure to carry the scoring load next season. However, a floor general of Lillard's caliber will have keep the Blazers competitive in the Western Conference.
Stats courtesy of Basketball-Reference.com.
