Damian Lillard just inked a massive extension with the Portland Trail Blazers. His shiny new two-year deal will see him earn roughly $60 million per season, which is one of the most expensive deals in the NBA.
His new contract means that he’ll be playing in a Blazers uniform through the 2026-27 season. By the time his contract is up, he’ll be roughly 36 years old and making, that’s right, $60 million.
Again, that’s a lot of money to pay anyone in the NBA, let alone an aging point guard. So, with everything in mind, let’s grade the Lillard extension.
Grading the Damian Lillard contract extension with Portland Trail Blazers
First and foremost, paying anybody upward of $60 million per season is a massive risk. Especially when considering the only players eligible to make that much money are probably going to be close to 40 when the deal is up.
Lillard is coming off a season where he only appeared in 29 games. While his long-term injury history isn’t too concerning, paying someone who just missed that many games $120 million is definitely concerning.
However, it’s also important to consider how loyal Lillard has been. Yes, that word has been terribly overused when discussing Lillard, but in a league where players love to switch teams, loyalty pays.
Plus, when he’s healthy, Lillard is a top-10 player in the NBA. He’s never been able to get over the hump and make it to the NBA Finals, but he definitely has the talent to lead the right team there.
Portland has begun to put a really solid team around him. Right now, their starting lineup will look like Lillard, Anfernee Simons, Josh Hart, Jerami Grant, and Jusuf Nurkic.
Though CJ McCollum would probably be the second-best player on that team behind Lillard, still, the Blazers’ new squad is much more well-rounded, which could suit Lillard’s game better.
Does Lillard’s new contract restrict the Blazers’ future cap flexibility a bit? Sure. But for small market teams, keeping players happy is crucial, and when it comes to Lillard and the Blazers, there aren’t many better relationships in basketball.
Portland is doing everything they can to set Lillard up to succeed, and in the process, they are keeping him happy by handing him the extension he wanted. This was a fine deal, despite the negative reaction by some.
Grade: B+