After trading away CJ McCollum at the deadline, there was no chance the Trail Blazers could let the guy who filled his shoes – breakout star Anfernee Simons — get away. Simons is part of the core Portland wants to rebuild around, next to Damian Lillard.
The good news is Simons wanted to stay, and just minutes into NBA free agency the Trail Blazers locked in their man to the tune of four years, $100 million, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.
Portland Trail Blazers guard Anfernee Simons has agreed on a four-year, $100 million contract extension, his agent Bill Duffy of @BDA_Sports + WME Sports tells ESPN.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 30, 2022
This signing was expected.
It’s a steep price, but 23-year-olds who scored 17.3 points per game and shot 40.5% from 3 are hard to come by in the NBA and get paid.
Simons is a case study in player development and being patient. He was always athletically gifted, but developing the craft of his game and learning how to use his talents at the NBA level took time. When it all came together this season, it was the biggest bright spot in a down Portland season.
And it got Simons paid.