UNC Basketball: Portland Trail Blazers Extend Nassir Little’s Contract

The Portland Trail Blazers have extended UNC basketball’s Nassir Little’s contract.

The time has come for Nassir Little to get his chips with a side of dip as Portland has agreed to extend his contract. The 25th overall pick in the 2019 draft had his team option exercised by the Blazers and is set to make a little bit over four million this season. Now that Little is paid, it’s time to make a big impact with a team on their last legs before a full-on rebuild.

It is no secret that the Blazers have a star-studded backcourt with Damian Lillard and Cj Mccollum, however, that hasn’t been enough to get over the hump. That’s where Little comes into play with expectations of making a leap this year, especially after the departure of 19-year veteran Carmelo Anthony.

Little, in his first two seasons with Portland, only averaged 12.6 minutes per game, which explains his 4.1 points average during that span. However, when Little does get minutes he produces, such as his break-out game in Milwaukee where he played 30 minutes resulting in 30 points on 61% shooting, six rebounds, and two blocks. It is simple…more minutes and we get to see more of a glimpse of what was seen when he was at UNC.

Portland drafted Little as a project with hopes that he could reach his full potential, and this season will be the deciding factor. No one is expecting an MVP or even an All-Star appearance this year, but a solid uptick in production to match his expected load of minutes. Little can do it all and with more playing time we can see a former UNC basketball player win the most improved player of the year award.

Little is set to be a restricted free agent after this upcoming season, which could lead to a qualifying offer or a multi-year contract extension. Either way, Little will have his chips with dip for a while.

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