Report: Steve Blake to pick up 2015-16 player option

Steve Blake still has a little basketball left in him.

The 35-year-old point guard signed a two-year, $4.2-million contract with the Portland Trail Blazers last summer, with the second season representing a player option that it was believed could be an opt-out were he to decide on retirement.

That won't be the case, with Joe Freeman of The Oregonian reporting Blake will exercise the player option. Blake said in February he'd return for 2015-16, and a potentially reduced role next season apparently hasn't changed his mind.

That means Portland will pay $2.2 million for what amounts to a third-string point guard, with C.J. McCollum likely having shown enough late this season to win backup duties behind Damian Lillard. In 81 games, Blake averaged 4.3 points and 3.6 assists in 18.9 minutes while knocking down 35.2 percent of his 3-point attempts.

A three-time member of the Blazers, Blake changed his jersey number to No. 5 this season to honor the late Jerome Kersey. More than 67 percent of readers at The Oregonian voted this week that they'd like Blake back, speaking to his popularity as a high-character reserve.