The Portland Trail Blazers have solidified the future of the organization by signing shooting guard C.J. McCollum to a contract extension.
Neil Olshey has a vision for the Portland Trail Blazers. Though the specifics are still relatively unknown, the Trail Blazers’ general manager is locking in key assets on long-term deals.
That process continued with the decision to extend one of the most critical members of the Trail Blazers’ core.
Portland’s offseason was busy and productive. It signed swingman Evan Turner and center Festus Ezeli, and re-signed coveted wing Allen Crabbe and athletic sharpshooting big man Meyers Leonard.
According to Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical, the Trail Blazers have taken the team-building process to the next level by signing starter C.J. McCollum to a contract extension.
Portland guard CJ McCollum has reached agreement on a four-year, $106M maximum contract extension, league sources tell @TheVertical.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 25, 2016
Wojnarowski followed up with more information:
Story soon on @CJMcCollum, Blazers max extension, but deal includes no options, no trade kickers, league sources tell @TheVertical.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 25, 2016
At 24 years of age, McCollum is coming off of the best season of his career.
McCollum finished the 2015-16 season with averages of 20.8 points, 4.3 assists, 3.2 rebounds, 1.2 steals, and 2.5 3-point field goals made per game. He did so on a highly efficient slash line of .448/.417/.827.
McCollum’s regular season success led to his receiving the 2016 Most Improved Player award.
McCollum maintained his production with an average of 20.5 points on 42.6 percent shooting during the 2016 NBA Playoffs. It marked the second consecutive year that he’s averaged at least 17.0 points per game in the postseason.
Though Portland may not be a traditional contender, extending McCollum has proven that Olshey’s vision for the team is coming together.
The Proper Way To Rebuild
The Portland Trail Blazers have put the theory to rest that a team needs to tank in order to rebuild. Of course, it’s admittedly much easier to rebuild when a superstar like Damian Lillard is residing on the roster.
The reality is, the Trail Blazers lost just about everything to free agency, and they still managed to make the 2016 NBA Playoffs.
The Trail Blazers lost four full-time starters to free agency in 2015. LaMarcus Aldridge signed with the San Antonio Spurs, Nicolas Batum was traded to the Portland Trail Blazers, Robin Lopez went to the New York Knicks, and Wesley Matthews chose the Dallas Mavericks.
Even Arron Afflalo, who started 19 games in relief of Matthews once he was injured, left to sign with the Knicks.
Widely projected as a team that would net a Top 5 NBA Draft pick, Portland instead made the playoffs. The Trail Blazers played so well that they earned the No. 5 seed and reached the Western Conference Semifinals.
If the free agency acquisitions fit properly and the young players develop, Portland should be even better in 2016-17.
The Stars Are Aligned
The Portland Trail Blazers may not yet be a championship-caliber team, but the core has been established. Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum give Portland two elite shooters who can create their own offense, and that can be the foundation for success in the modern era.
With both players locked up on long-term deals, the Trail Blazers can comfortably move forward knowing the core has been solidified.
Lillard earned an All-NBA Second Team nod in 2015-16 by averaging 25.1 points, 6.8 assists, 4.0 rebounds, and 3.1 3-point field goals made. As previously alluded to, McCollum averaged 20.8 points, 4.3 assists, 3.2 rebounds, 1.2 steals, and 2.5 3-point field goals made.
Perhaps most significantly, Lillard turned 26 years old in July, and McCollum will turn 25 in September—a sign that neither player has entered their prime just yet.
For fans of the advanced metrics, the Trail Blazers had a net rating of +2.0 with McCollum on the court and +0.9 with Lillard. Those numbers dipped to -2.9 without McCollum and -0.1 without Lillard.
In other words, Lillard and McCollum were the difference between winning and losing in 2015-16—and they’re both locked up for the next five years.
The Stars Are Locked Up
As has been established, the Portland Trail Blazers signed C.J. McCollum to a four-year extension. It’s fully guaranteed with no options or trade kickers, meaning he’s signed on for the full four years.
The critical complement to that truth is that Damian Lillard’s five-year extension worth $140 million begins in 2016-17.
In other words, Lillard is signed through the 2020-21 season and McCollum is signed through 2012-22. Thus, rather than having to worry about a star-caliber player leaving a small market, Portland can build around them in a comfortable manner.
Barring a trade that Portland itself would have to sign off on and execute, both Lillard and McCollum will spend their respective primes with the Trail Blazers.
Thus, while the pieces around Lillard and McCollum must continue to develop, the core has been locked up and secured. With Lillard and McCollum on the roster, building a contender becomes a legitimate possibility in Portland.
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By re-signing McCollum, the Trail Blazers have solidified their future as a force in the Western Conference.