The Portland Trail Blazers are working toward a four-year, $196 million supermax contract extension with Damian Lillard, Shams Charnia of The Athletic tweets. Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports adds that the two parties will look to finalize the deal when free agency begins today.
The seven-year veteran, fresh off an appearance in the Western Conference Finals, is eligible to ink the 35% max extension as a designated veteran.
As Luke Adams of Hoops Rumors explains, supermax contracts can be tacked on to the end of a player’s contract, even if he has two years left on his current deal. Lillard’s current contract lasts through 2020-21, so the four-year extension will run from 2021-22 through 2024-25.
The extension coupled with the remaining two years on his deal would give Lillard in excess of $250 million in guaranteed money. Depending on where the salary cap lands in 2021-22 (it’s currently projected at $125 million), Lillard could push $55 million in the final year of his deal.
