RealGM

https://basketball.realgm.com/wiretap/269053/Nassir-Little-Blazers-Agree-To-Four-Year-$28M-Extension

From Woj:

Nassir Little and the Portland Trail Blazers have agreed to a four-year, $28 million contract extension that is fully guaranteed.

Little underwent season-ending shoulder surgery in January and is expected to start the season in Portland's rotation.

Little was the 25th overall pick in the 2019 NBA draft.

So, what do you think? Is this a good deal for the Blazers? If Little can continue to build on the progress he made last season, he could become a bargain in a 3 and D wing. But... he needs to continue to improve and also show he can stay healthy.

The verdict is out on whether it is a steal, it does seem like the cost fits the risk/reward accordingly though. Much more than the Meyers deal this one seems like a reasonable price to pay for upside

This type of deal is similar to the Zach Collins deal with the Spurs. A low risk, high reward type of deal
assuming there are no addendums for extra performance/opt outs, etc.

I could be reading him totally wrong, but it looks to me like he's playing tight, maybe trying a bit too hard while having to now compete for every minute with Veterans like GP2, Hart and Winslow. Plus, he has another four really good youngsters in GB3, Keon, Sharpe and Walker that are working their asses off, for those very same minutes. Nassir is smack-dab in the middle.

Competition is good. Minutes should be earned and rewarded.

As far as the contract... Seems like it should be a bargain, but we'll just have to wait and see. If he eventually earns that starting SF spot, it's an obvious "Bargain". It's there for the taking, but again, so much competition currently. So the "Risk" side is: $28 mil for 4 years of Little as a backup 3&D... That's SOLID. Good investment IMO, and the best part of it all is that it should take a ton of pressure off of Nassir's shoulders, knowing he now doesn't have to worry about any financials, likely for the rest of his and his families' life. Good for him. He can now focus on just Ballin'.

I think it's an overpay at this point. I'm hoping he takes a step forward this season, but I didnt see anything to excite me during pre-season.

The team wouldn't offer Collins that contract, but they offer it to Little. Wasnt there another year before they had to extend him? Maybe they're getting a bargain (I hope), but we wont know for a while.

It's like 30% less than full MLE costs, so I think this deal is fine.

red_power wrote:It's like 30% less than full MLE costs, so I think this deal is fine.

Yeah, its a pretty safe move from both sides. Nice for the Blazers to show a bit of confidence in Nassir earning a role amongst the competition this year but its also a smart move from Nassir to play it safe and give himself a few more guaranteed seasons to prove he is worth bigger money. Mostly no one seems to be playing hardball which speaks to a good working relationship still. I'm a bit skeptical of what kind of player Nassir can develop into (has a lot of decent skills and no major major weaknesses besides health but also doesn't really have an elite skill to stand on yet) but the Blazers see him in practice and how hard he works (which from all accounts he has a fantastic work ethic) so hopefully they see something of his potential that we might not.

Here are the details on Nassir Little's Contract:



The extension kicks in next season. His current salary is $4,171,548. The current MLE is $10,490,000 and the MLE next season will be $11,283,000. So, in the final year of his rookie deal he will make 40% of the MLE and 3.66% of the salary cap. Next season he will be making 55% of the MLE and 4.66% of the salary cap.

At no point, under his new contract, will Nassir Little be making more than 5% of the salary cap. Even with his injury history and middling performance to date, less than 1/20th of the salary cap seems like a pretty good value for a 22-year old player who will likely to be in the regular rotation.

I think it's a fair deal to both parties.

It's a good gamble for us, and it locks in generational wealth for Nassir.

With the cap ballooning this deal looks great, I think Nassir is worth this contract nearly today and if he improves at all which is likely it looks like a damn good one. Being healthy is a concern for him but he had some solid play last year especially as the season was closing.

He looked aight tonight. If he could get up (and make) like 1 or 2 more 3s a game he might just make himself indispensable.

Looking better by the game

Great for Nas. Really smart and the sweet spot for the Blazers.

With the collection of youth and young veterans and some grit at 2 through 4, a strong bench is under construction. And I’m really happy that Eubanks has found a home. He’s no needle mover or difference maker, perhaps, but he fits in.

What’s Nassir’s Blazers comp? A ceiling of 1987-1982 Jerome Kersey with a 3 point shot? Okay, maybe not that much of a force of nature. A less bulldozing Gerald Wallace?
Nas has quite a ways to get near that level, but he might. Good contract.

Goldbum wrote:Looking better by the game

Yep. Nas quietly having a solid season, seems to be playing within himself, shooting very well, as he shakes the rust off from his long layoff. Would like to see him get more minutes, he is already better than his contract and I think it was a steal for the Blazers, gotta keep reminding myself he's still 22 years old.

I hope they give him more run!