Damian Lillard extends in Portland for … 122 million dollars over 2 years

Hours after James Harden’s cut-price extension to the Sixers, another big name in the NBA opted to sign a contract extension with his franchise. But this time, no salary reduction on the program, quite the contrary. Damian Lillard adds two more years to the Blazers for… $122 million.

A good week ago, we were already talking to you about a potential contract extension for the Portland franchise player. Today, the news has just been confirmed, but the amount is much higher than what was initially announced. According to Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports, who is a source very close to the Lillard clan, Dame has therefore just signed an extension of 122 million green tickets over two seasons and will thus receive a salary of around 60 million during the 2025-26 (58.5 million) and 2026 campaigns. -27 (63.5 million, with a player option please). The amount is simply huge, especially since Lillard will reach his 37th birthday in 2027. And when we add the last three years of his current deal (which will end in 2025), we get a total of a contract of 270 million over five years. The numbers are clearly turning heads, and we really hope for Portland that at this price, Dame DOLLA will once again become the MVP-caliber player he was before the 2021-22 season. As a reminder, Lillard remains on a very complicated campaign where he finished with his lowest stats since 2015 (24 points, 7 assists) and a much lower efficiency (40% shooting, 32% at 3-points). A fall in production directly linked to his abdominal problems, he who finally took advantage of the slammed season of the Blazers (27 wins – 55 losses, 13th in the West) to finally have surgery.

WOW, 122 million over 2 years? https://t.co/Hv6SEEJIAz

— TrashTalk (@TrashTalk_fr) July 8, 2022

It’s not possible, there’s a typo lol sorry?

— TrashTalk (@TrashTalk_fr) July 8, 2022

Loyalty obviously pays off. The Blazers show with this huge extension their intention to lock their leader until the end of his prime to try to build the best possible team around his talents. But one can legitimately wonder how the new management of Portland will be able to build a real candidate for the title with a franchise player who weighs 40 million dollars today, 50 million tomorrow and 60 the day after tomorrow. During the offseason, the Blazers tried to use their flexibility acquired thanks to the numerous transfers made at the last deadline to give new impetus to the sports project, notably recruiting Jerami Grant, Gary Payton II and Shaedon Sharpe (Draft) while securing Anfernee Simons, Jusuf Nurkic and Josh Hart. This should allow Portland to start again in 2022-23 but it still seems insufficient to mingle with the elite of the Western Conference, especially since the latter promises to be much stronger than in 2022. In the end , with this huge extension, Damian Lillard seems well on his way to being the man of one franchise as he has always dreamed of, but he also seems well on his way to never winning a single ring. At least he can buy one with his 270 million in his bank account…

Healthy and at the top of his game prime, Lillard is obviously part of the elite of the NBA and is one of the best leaders on the circuit. But 270 million over five seasons, from 32 to 37, with a very complicated last campaign physically, frankly it stings. Like what, we don’t call her Dame DOLLA for nothing.

Text source: Yahoo Sports / ESPN

Damian Lillard’s current contract therefore increases to 270… million… dollars.

2022-23: 42.5 million
2023-24: 45.6 million
2024-25: 48.8 million
2025-27: 120 million

Until he was 37.

— TrashTalk (@TrashTalk_fr) July 8, 2022

Here is the Lillard contract breakdown:

Current contract

22-23: $42.5M
23-24: $45.6M
24-25: $48.8M

Extension*

25-26: $58.5M
26-27: $63.3M (P)

The extension numbers could be adjusted based on the salary cap in 2025-26. It cannot exceed 35% of the cap for that season.

—Bobby Marks (@BobbyMarks42) July 8, 2022