This NBA offseason was an important one for the Portland Trail Blazers. After bottoming out last season, the front office did its best to reload the roster around point guard Damian Lillard. Jerami Grant was the team’s biggest acquisition, as they acquired him in a trade from the Detroit Pistons.
After that, Gary Payton II was signed away from the Golden State Warriors in free agency and Shaedon Sharpe was selected as the No. 7 overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft. Today, they secured another part of their future.
The Trail Blazers and Nassir Little agreed to a four-year, $28 million deal on Monday morning. Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reported the news.
The two sides got a deal done just hours ahead of the deadline, which is set for 6 PM ET on Monday. Little has struggled to stay healthy after breaking into Portland’s rotation but has showcased the potential that made him a player the Trail Blazers wanted to lock in long-term.
LATEST NBA NEWS & RUMORS: Nassir Little & Portland Trail Blazers Updates
Last season in 42 games, 23 of which were starts, Little averaged 9.8 points, 5.6 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 0.9 blocks and 0.6 steals in 25.9 minutes per game. He has shown the ability to be an excellent defender and is working on becoming a more consistent 3-point shooter offensively.
Little’s impact as a multi-positional defender is what will make him such a valuable player for the Trail Blazers. They have struggled at times slowing opponents down from scoring the ball, but they have done a good job adding more players capable of getting stops, as Little, Grant, Josh Hart and Payton all get after it on the defensive end of the floor.
LATEST NBA NEWS & RUMORS: Nassir Little & Portland Trail Blazers Updates
Given his ability to play both forward spots, Little should have a sizable role in the team’s rotation this upcoming season. He provides head coach Chauncey Billups with a very versatile player that can play alongside any other wings and forwards on the roster given his combination of size and athleticism.
