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| (photo credit: thesource.com) |
The Portland Trail Blazers and guard C.J. McCollum have
reached an agreement on a four-year deal worth $106 million, according to The
Vertical and ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne. The deal does not include a player
option, and there are no trade kickers in the deal. The contract will begin in
the 2017-2018 season. McCollum was set to become a restricted free agent in
2017, but the two sides have now avoided free agency.
McCollum was the named
the NBA’s Most Improved Player after blossoming in first season starting
alongside Damian Lillard. The Blazers backcourt was the third-highest scoring
tandem in the league behind Golden State’s Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson, and
Oklahoma City’s Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook.
McCollum was named the
starting shooting guard after Wesley Matthews signed with the Dallas Mavericks
during free agency in 2015. McCollum saw his scoring average increase by 14 points
last year. The 14-point improvement was the biggest improvement since Tony
Campbell of the Minnesota Timberwolves in 1989. He averaged 20.5 points, 4.3
assists, and 3.2 rebounds per game in 34.8 minutes a game.
McCollum was also a
deadly shooter from beyond the arc, as he shot 41.7% from beyond the three
point line. He played a crucial role on a Blazers team that made it to the
Western Conference Semifinals last season. McCollum scored in double figures in 79 games.
McCollum joins a long list of moves that the Trail Blazers have made this
offseason. The team has brought back Allen Crabbe and Myers Leonard, while also
adding Festus Ezeli, Shabazz Napier, and Evan Turner.
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