The Portland Trail Blazers are high on their backcourt duo of Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum. The duo helped the Blazers reach the Western Conference finals, where they lost to the Warriors.
Lillard and McCollum proved that the Blazers are a legitimate team, by beating opponents such as the Thunder and Nuggets.
The duo of Lillard and McCollum is crucial to the Blazers and their success. In order for the team to succeed, they need to keep their core intact.
The Blazers are ensuring that they keep their duo by signing them to extensions. Lillard signed an extension earlier this summer, and now his backcourt mate joins him. According to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, the Blazers have signed CJ McCollum to a three-year, $100 million contract extension. This extends his current deal to five years and $157 million. The new deal starts in 2021-22.
Blazers president Neil Olshey announced the move on Tuesday and spoke on McCollum’s importance to the team.
“CJ McCollum is a franchise cornerstone and a critical part of our future,” said Olshey. “This extension represents a strong level of commitment between CJ, the Trail Blazers, and the city of Portland.”
This year, McCollum averaged 21 points and four rebounds. He also averaged 24.7 points, five rebounds and 3.7 assists.
McCollum is crucial to the Blazers’ success. The Blazers drafted him with the 10th pick in the 2013 draft. In his rookie season with the Blazers, McCollum averaged 5.3 points and 1.3 rebounds. As time progressed, McCollum’s averages improved significantly, and he was named the Most Improved Player. He won the award in 2016.
The Blazers are all-in with Lillard and McCollum. The duo has helped the Blazers make the playoffs on a consistent basis. McCollum is an important player for the Blazers, and the extension benefits both him and the Blazers.
Featured image courtesy of USA Today Sports
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