Nassir Little Signs $28 Million Extension with Portland Trail Blazers

Nassir Little has inked a multi-year contract extension with the Portland Trail Blazers.

The Portland Trail Blazers have signed Nassir Little to a four-year, $28 million contract extension, per Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN. Little, who is entering his fourth year with the Blazers, was eligible for a rookie scale extension this summer. Had the Blazers not signed him, Little would have become a restricted free agent in the 2023 offseason. But the Blazers saw glimpses of his potential last season, especially on the defensive end of the floor.

Little played only 42 games last season due to a shoulder injury. He started in 23 games for the Blazers, tallying 9.8 points, 5.6 rebounds, 1.3 assists, and 0.9 blocks per contest. Reports have it that the 6-foot-5 combo forward has now fully recovered from the shoulder injury, so there’s a huge chance that he takes a bigger workload this upcoming season.

Nassir Little, who turns 23 next year, played college ball for North Carolina. He was a highly-touted prospect entering the 2019 NBA Draft, where he was selected by the Blazers with the 25th overall pick. However, Little did not have much playing time during his first two years in the league, as he was fighting for minutes with the likes of Carmelo Anthony, Trevor Ariza, Rodney Hood, and Gary Trent Jr.

With the Blazers possibly on the brink of rebuilding their roster, Little might see more action on the court this season. If the team doesn’t make a solid run in the playoffs — if they do enter the postseason — we might see Blazers superstar Damian Lillard on another team soon. It remains to be seen as to what direction the Blazers are heading to, especially with them recently acquiring the services of defensive-minded wings Jerami Grant and Gary Payton II.