Lillard signed a two-year extension over the weekend, which will see the 31-year-old star in The City of Roses” until 2027. “Dame Time” will be making $63.2 million in the final year of the deal, which is currently the largest one-year payout in NBA history.
Reportedly last week, a group headed by Nike co-founder and chairman Phil Knight, along with Los Angeles Dodger partial owner Alan Smolinsky, put in an unsolicited bid of $2 billion to purchase the Blazers. Portland’s current value is $2.05 billion, which ranks thirteenth in the NBA. The franchise is currently owned by the Paul Allen Trust, which is overseen by Allen’s sister Jody. Paul Allen passed away in 2018. Jody Allen has stated that the Blazers are not currently up for sale. Knight, who went to college at the University of Oregon, will be able to keep the Blazers in Portland if acquired.
The Blazers have taken great strides over the past decade to revamp their image from the “Jail Blazers” mantra that haunted the franchise for a number of years in the early 2000’s. We remember that in an 18-month period Shawn Kemp, Zach Randolph, Rasheed Wallace and Damon Stoudamire were all involved with some sort of substance possession or abuse. Ruben Patterson was also arrested for felonious domestic abuse, but charges were later dropped.
For Portland to climb back into contention in the Western Conference, Lillard needs marquee help. Trading three second round picks to the Detroit Pistons for Jeremi Grant is a good start. Grant, 28, has averaged 22.3 and 19.2 points per game each of the last two years, on a Pistons team that was among the worst in the league. He also helped Team USA win gold in Tokyo last summer, a team that also featured Lillard.. However, this is the third time in his career that Grant has been traded.
Portland won their lone championship in 1977, and have not made the finals since Clyde Drexler faced off against Michael Jordan in 1992. The Blazers additionally have not won a division title since 2018. That streak is sure to continue, now that Rudy Goebert has paired up with Karl Anthony-Towns in Minnesota, and you still have to contend with not only the Utah Jazz, but some guy they call “Joker” in Denver that is supposed to be very good.
Lilliard told reporters at the press conference announcing the contract extension that winning a championship elsewhere “...would not be as fulfilling.” While LeBron James and Kevin Durant have jumped franchises every few years, the idea that two of the best in the game--Lillard and Steph Curry in Golden State--have remained loyal to their franchises is the most refreshing thing in today’s NBA.
Now we will see how this plays out of Portland does not continue to improve the core talent in the coming seasons. Another piece of this core is projected to be Shadeon Sharpe. The 19-year-old rookie committed to Kentucky last year, but did not play a single game under John Calipari. Instead, Sharpe’s intention of redshirting his freshman year was simply designed to declare for the NBA draft, which Portland used the seventh-overall pick to select him.
After six minutes of play in his first NBA Summer League game, Sharpe left with a shoulder injury. Further tests revealed a partial labral tear. The Blazers currently are allowing the rookie to rest for the next few weeks, before further evaluation or treatment is required. The tear is in Sharpe’s left shoulder, while being a right-handed shot. This could be eerily reminiscent of what occurred with the Cleveland Browns and Baker Mayfield this past season.
-JC24