The Portland Trail Blazers have locked up another young member of their core — and at a very reasonable price.
The Trail Blazers and Nassir Little have agreed to a four-year, $28 million extension, a story broken by Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.
Portland Trail Blazers F Nassir Little has agreed on a four-year, $28M extension, sources tell ESPN.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) October 17, 2022
Little showed tremendous progress a season ago before a season-ending shoulder injury in January, but is fully recovered and now lands a fully-guaranteed $28M extension ahead of the Monday deadline. https://t.co/4vtDbXU2MS
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) October 17, 2022
The 6'5" wing averaged 9.8 points and 6.5 rebounds a night in a breakout 43 games for the Trail Blazers last season, until he was sidelined by a torn labrum in his shoulder that required surgery. He also was one of three Trail Blazers to have core muscle surgery this offseason, which he admitted he was still recovering from as the Blazers entered the preseason. He came into camp with a chance to compete for the starting three spot but lost that race to Josh Hart. Still, Little should have a significant role on the team this season, being one of the first players off the bench.
If Little, 22 and entering his fourth NBA season, takes even a modest step forward with his game from last season this is a good deal for the Trail Blazers, who get a solid rotation player for a few million less a season than the mid-level exception. For Little (drafted 25th), this is fully guaranteed, life-changing money — he was offered the bag and grabbed it. He got some security.