Blazers, Simons agree to 4-year, $100M extension
The Portland Trail Blazers and guard Anfernee Simons have reached an agreement on a four-year, $100-million contract, Simons' agent told ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.
Simons had a breakout campaign last year, more than doubling his scoring from 7.8 to 17.3 points per game. The 23-year-old stepped into the Blazers' starting lineup admirably following Damian Lillard's abdominal injury absence. He averaged 23.4 points, 5.8 assists, and 2.7 rebounds per contest while shooting 42.3% from distance as a starter.
He struck a career-high 43 points in a Jan. 3 win over the Atlanta Hawks, going 9-of-16 from the 3-point line to help Portland withstand a 56-point outburst from Trae Young. He set his previous personal best as a rookie in 2019 when he dropped 37 on the Sacramento Kings in the final game of the regular season.
The former 24th overall pick was a restricted free agent this offseason coming off his fourth NBA campaign. Though his year was cut short due to a knee issue in late March, he's expected to suit up alongside Lillard in Portland's starting backcourt to begin the 2022-23 season.