7:00pm: The Blazers and McCollum have made it official, with the team issuing a press release to announce the extension.
“CJ McCollum is a franchise cornerstone and a critical part of our future,” Neil Olshey said in a statement. “This extension represents a strong level of commitment between CJ, the Trail Blazers and the city of Portland.”
1:01pm: The Trail Blazers and guard CJ McCollum have reached an agreement on a contract extension that will add three years to his current deal, agent Sam Goldfeder of Excel Sports tells ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (via Twitter).
According to Wojnarowski, the two sides have agreed to a three-year, $100MM extension that will keep McCollum under contract for the next five seasons in total — he has two years left on his current deal. Assuming the extension doesn’t feature any options, it will put the 27-year-old on track to reach unrestricted free agency in 2024.
The 10th overall pick in the 2013 draft, McCollum has emerged as one of the league’s best backcourt scorers in recent years, averaging at least 20.8 PPG in each of the last four seasons. In 2018/19, he recorded 21.0 PPG, 4.0 RPG, and 3.0 APG with a shooting line of .459/.375/.828 in 70 games (33.9 MPG).
Because McCollum signed his current contract with Portland on July 27, 2016, he became eligible for an extension on Saturday, three years after that deal was completed. The two sides didn’t waste much time in working something out, though the new contract won’t go into effect until the 2021/22 season.
While three years was the most that McCollum and the Blazers could have tacked onto to his current deal, it’s not technically a maximum-salary extension. The standout shooting guard could have earned up to approximately $114MM on that three-year extension, so he’ll accept slightly less than that in exchange for long-term security.
McCollum’s extension will make him the fifth player to sign a contract extension this offseason, as well as the third player to ink a veteran extension. Most notably, he’s the second member of the Blazers’ backcourt to agree to a lucrative long-term extension this summer — the team locked up Damian Lillard to a four-year, super-max extension earlier this month.
Lillard’s extension begins in ’21/22, the same year as McCollum’s. It runs one year longer, but Portland is now assured of having its two star guards under contract for least the next five seasons.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
80 million a year for 2 guards and little cap space left. Doesn’t sound like a recipe for success IMHO.
That’s how you have to do it. You can’t let that guy go. That’s the best backcourt in the league.
You know the Warriors are still in the league?
I would take Lillard over curry every day of the week.
I am a HUGE Lillard fan, but I wouldn’t.
I think it was a good signing for the Blazers.
I think Lillard is the second best PG in the league if you consider Harden a SG and Giannis a wing/point forward
That’s cool, but you’d also lose every day of the week.
Honestly, if you swap steph and klay for lillard and cj, blazers are going to the finals
Steph > Lillard (Rings, MVPs, scoring titles, shooting records)
Klay > CJ (Usage rate + efficiency, defense)
With that said, I think Lillard + CJ is the second best in the league. James Harden + Westbrook is unknown but they would be in contention as well
To be fair, by the time these deals go into effect (2021/22), the cap is projected to rise to $125MM, so they could still have some flexibility down the road.
Not a recipe for success yet if they didn’t blow half time leads they would’ve had a really good chance at being in the finals. Keeping the team together for as long as possible is the recipe for success.
They already lost the whole frontline. I hope McCollum enjoyed the level of 4.
To get back even that far, Lillard has to get Whiteside sorted, then some forwards need to show up.
Love this move to keep them together and build a winner in Portland
Good on the Blazers for doing their best to keep that team together. I bet LaMarcus wishes he were back in Portland.
Hard tp believe those 2016 contracts were 3 years ago
As people, these 2 guys are similar. Both have always expressed love for Portland and staying where they are, so it obviously doesnt surprise me to see this. I would be a little worried about the last 2 years of these deals, especially for CJ. Big fan, but I’m not so sure his numbers dont see this as a bit of an overpay. Obviously, you do it if you’re Portland, but something to consider, and it could also make him more of a trade asset after this year, if they choose to go in that direction, as their young guards develop. Curious to see what they do at the 4
It’s Zach Collins year to step up at the 4
Zach Collins should be the starting 5
I still have my doubts about the Lillard super max extension offer, but once you’ve done that, this makes sense. Lillard’s contract extension pretty much assures that (short of a roster stripping blow up) the Blazers won’t be a team with significant cap space for the balance of Lillard’s contract, unless they were going to walk away from CJM for the dreaded “nothing” before, during or immediately after his age 29 season. The extension covers his age 30-32 seasons. The 5 year forward commitment is the downside, but this is now market or at least what top players expect. The good news is that it eliminates what I think would be a tougher decision in a couple of years, whether to give him a 4-5 year forward commitment in advance of age 30 season.
I still believe the Blazers should look to change the makeup of their roster, and that likely means moving CJM. But not via a trade not for “cap space” or letting him walk, but a trade for another high end player. Assuming he plays well, he has more trade value in the next year or so with this extension then without it.
Seems like, the money CJM’s made already is security… And he should have sought freedom in two years… And more money… And some allstar status. It’s just all very very safe.
Good move from Portland. I am excited to see their new big 3 of Dame, CJ & Whiteside playing together!
Whiteside does NOT make it a big 3.