The Portland Trail Blazers and shooting guard CJ McCollum reached an agreement Tuesday on a three-year, $100 million contract extension to keep him with the organization through the 2023-24 NBA season.
Sam Goldfeder, McCollum’s agent, confirmed the deal to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
McCollum became eligible for the extension last week – and joins All-NBA teammate Damian Lillard in summer deals that solidify the Blazers backcourt into the mid-2020’s.
Portland Trail Blazers guard CJ McCollum has agreed to a three-year, $100 million contract extension — extending his current deal to five years and $157 million, his agent, Sam Goldfeder of Excel Sports, tells ESPN.
“CJ McCollum is a franchise cornerstone and a critical part of our future,” said president of basketball operations Neil Olshey. “This extension represents a strong level of commitment between CJ, the Trail Blazers and the city of Portland.”
The 27-year-old Lehigh product was named the NBA’s Most Improved Player for the 2015-16 season and has since been one of the league’s most consistent scoring threats.
McCollum averaged 21.0 points during the 2018-19 campaign, marking his fourth straight year averaging over 20.0 points, while also putting up 4.0 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game. He shot 45.9 percent from the field, including 37.5 percent from three-point range.
The Blazers signed fellow backcourt star Damian Lillard to a five-year, $196 million extension earlier in the offseason. The point guard is now linked to the team through the 2024-25 season.
McCollum and Lillard are the franchise’s foundation for success, and the Ohio native made it clear last August he wasn’t interested in leaving Portland for a superteam.
The Blazers haven’t made the same type of splash as the Los Angeles Lakers or Los Angeles Clippers this summer, but they did add Hassan Whiteside, Mario Hezonja and Kent Bazemore to bolster their wing and frontcourt depth around their star guards.
It’s unclear whether that will be enough to contend in the loaded Western Conference, but with McCollum and Lillard both under contract for the foreseeable future, the front office has some time to focus on upgrading other areas of the roster.
Olshey and Co. are surely under pressure to win a championship before their contracts end.
Courtesy: Bleacher Report
