9:13pm: The signing under the hardship exception is official, according to a team press release.
12:40pm: The Trail Blazers intend to sign center Drew Eubanks to another 10-day contract, which will be his fourth consecutive deal with the team, sources tell ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (via Twitter).
The 25-year-old has performed well through 13 games (28.1 minutes) with Portland, averaging 12.3 points, 8.2 rebounds and 1.8 assists on .624/.286/.880 shooting (only seven attempts from deep). He’s started all 13 games in place of the injured Jusuf Nurkic.
Most of this year’s 10-day hardship contracts have been completed using the COVID-related hardship exception, but Eubanks has been signed multiple times using an injury-related hardship exception. A team qualifies for an injury-related hardship exception if it has at least four players who have missed three or more consecutive games, as long as those players project to remain sidelined for at least the next couple weeks.
Portland has at least six such players – Nurkic, Damian Lillard, Nassir Little, Didi Louzada, Joe Ingles, and Eric Bledsoe – and possibly as many as seven, if Anfernee Simons isn’t expected to return soon. That’s why the club is eligible for the hardship exception.
Eubanks’ last 10-day deal expired overnight. His new 10-day contract will pay him $99,380.
I feel like the Player’s Union has to be taking issue with a team repeatedly offering the absolute minimum of a 10-day deal to someone who has been a starting lineup staple. And if they’re not concerned with this occurrence, they should be. An absolute disgrace to offer so little to someone who’s contributing so many minutes for the squad.
I’m not feeling to heartbroken for a player getting paid just under $10,000 a day regardless if he plays in 2 or 5 games over that 10 day contract.
You know he doesn’t have to sign it, right? Portland’s absolute disgrace of an offer is quite a lot better than the rest of the league’s generous offer of nothing.
You do realize that if a player was signed to consecutive 10 day contracts from the start of the season to the end of the regular season that it’s the equivalent of signing a 1 year contract for the veterans minimum.
So if Eubanks was playing his 28 minutes a game off the bench, you’d be fine with how much he’s being paid???
You do realize that if Eubanks gets hurt, the remaining money is automatically voided? And that he wouldn’t receive an additional contract as a result? Dame has been making bank while nursing his injury all season long BECAUSE of the stability and security of his contract. Just because Eubanks isn’t on the 75th Anniversary team shouldn’t mean he deserves nothing in terms of assurances. After all, he’s brought more value to the team in 2022 than Dame has…
First off, Damian Lillard is the Rip City brand. Playing full time or injured, he is the heart of the org. $10k per day ain’t even the same conversation, so I’ll just chalk that comment as hyperbole. Putting that aside, the issue here is union negotiations. Again, guys like Dame will have outsized representation when determining the rights players will have in this league, why? Because fans watch the game to watch Dame, not Eubanks. Even when Eubanks is on the court playing, we’re all watching to see if he will gel with Dame and the rest of the cast… er, team. Now that the rules are agreed to between players and owners/managers, the pieces will be moved accordingly. Eubanks is a hometown boy in the big league. Great story. I cheer him on. But I don’t feel bad for a second that the rules are set-up such that the owners don’t HAVE to offer him a guaranteed contract if they don’t have to. This is business. What are we talking about….
Fans watch games whether Lillard plays or not. There’s a number of reasons, including 2nd & 3rd lines.
If the Trail Blazers were to sign him to a full contract, they’d need to cut another player. The season is basically over and Eubanks was picked up off the scrap heap and is basically getting paid the same for the rest of the season as he would if signed a full contract. Why cut someone when they don’t have to?
Bulls should’ve signed this guy instead of trash Tristan Thompson…
PAY this man
Sad case of POR just penny pinching, pay the man as you already making too much money & paying too little lux tax, hence why you are the most horrible & unwatchable team in the league right now!
Man… Just sign him already, obviously will be a valuable backup center when Nurk comes back. No idea what’s this dumb play with 10 day contracts, guess they don’t want to cut another player.
You do realize there’s only 17 days left in the regular season. The GM would have to be a moron to not work within the system that was collectively bargained by all parties. What benefit is there to sign him for the rest of the season if they’d have to cut another player?
Have you not seen the injury list for the Blazers??? There is a reason why they keep qualifying to extend Drew via 10 day contracts with the hardship exception, which only requires a team to have 3 players out due to injury to qualify for. Portland has 7 players out and depending on the day sometimes up to 8.
I guess the veteran minimum that Eubanks is earning isn’t considered a ‘living wage’ to some of you on here.
Not about the team but the guy, think about him, will you?
Blazers need a backup center for the next season, it’s as simple as that.