This isn’t really a surprise to anyone, but it is of note and makes this year interesting for him:
Greg Oden will not get a contract extension from the Portland Trail Blazers, a team official confirmed to the Associated Press (and the Oregonian). He is the first No. 1 overall pick not to be offered an extension off his rookie deal since Kwame Brown.
The Blazers shouldn’t have offered him one, even if this had not been a tough year for the class of 2007 due to the changing Collective Bargaining Agreement. Oden has played 82 games in three years and is not on the court at the start of this season as he recovers, the risk is just too great.
Oden becomes a restricted free agent after this season, meaning any team can offer him a deal but the Blazers have the right to match.
He will get offers, because when he has played he’s been good. They will not be in the vicinity of max deals but they will come. Smart teams will make these a short deal with some team options on them for additional years. How much they are for will be based on how well he plays once he gets back on the floor — and if he can stay on the floor.
