PORTLAND, Ore. — The NBA's free-agency negotiating period began June 30, giving the Portland Trail Blazers another shot at improving the roster around star guard Damian Lillard.
The Blazers made two big moves earlier in the offseason, trading for a starting power forward in veteran Jerami Grant and drafting what the team hopes is a future star in 19-year-old Shaedon Sharpe — though the young guard was quickly sidelined for summer play due to a shoulder injury.
At the start of free agency, shooting guard Anfernee Simons agreed to re-sign with the Blazers. Another Blazers starter, center Jusuf Nurkic, reportedly agreed to re-sign one day later and Portland brought back backup center Drew Eubanks on a one-year deal. The Blazers also used part of their midlevel exception to sign versatile defensive wing Gary Payton II.
Here's a look at the latest free agency and trade reports involving Portland. Check back as this story will be updated often:
Blazers officially re-sign Jusuf Nurkic (July 6)
Starting center Jusuf Nurkic has re-signed with the Portland Trail Blazers, the team announced Wednesday. ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported July 1 that the deal was for four years and $70 million. Read the full story
Blazers officially re-sign Anfernee Simons (July 6)
Shooting guard Anfernee Simons has re-signed with the Portland Trail Blazers, the team announced Wednesday. Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reported June 30 that the contract is a four-year deal worth $100 million. Read the full story
Blazers officially sign Gary Payton II (July 6)
The Portland Trail Blazers have signed free agent Gary Payton II, the team announced Wednesday. On Thursday, Spotrac reported the details of Payton's contract. It's a three-year deal worth $26.1 million with a player option in the third year. Shams Charania of The Athletic was first to report that the Blazers and Payton II had agreed to a contract on June 30. The initial reporting was that the deal was for three years and $28 million. Read the full story
Blazers release details of second-round pick swap (July 6)
The Blazers on Wednesday officially announced that they traded the rights to Ismael Kamagate, acquired in the Jerami Grant trade, to the Denver Nuggets for a future second-round pick. The pick will be the more favorable of Minnesota and Charlotte's second-round selections. Kamagate was the 46th overall pick of the 2022 NBA draft.
Blazers complete trade for Jerami Grant (July 6)
The Blazers on Wednesday officially announced the completion of the trade that will bring Detroit Pistons power forward Jerami Grant to Portland. Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN was the first to report that Portland and Detroit had agreed to the trade back on June 22. Read the full story
Blazers plan to waive Eric Bledsoe (July 6)
Update: The Blazers announced Wednesday afternoon that they waived Bledsoe.
Shams Charania of The Athletic reports that the Blazers "plan to waive guard Eric Bledsoe ahead of his guarantee date approaching." Bledsoe's guarantee date is July 10. If he's waived prior to that date, only $3.9 million of the remaining $19.4 million on his contract is guaranteed. The Blazers acquired Bledsoe in the February trade that sent Norman Powell and Robert Covington to the L.A. Clippers at the trade deadline. Bledsoe didn't play at all for Portland after the trade. Charania reported that "several teams are expected to pursue Bledsoe as a free agent." See the tweet
Lillard extension 'not a sure thing yet' (July 1)
Sam Amick of The Athletic wrote Friday about Damian Lillard and the expected supermax extension that hasn't happened yet. "While it has been widely assumed Lillard will accept the two-year extension offer worth more than $100 million that is expected to come his way, sources say the Trail Blazers still needed to have a strong offseason to persuade Lillard to sign on through the 2026-27 campaign (when he'll be 36)," Amick wrote. "The deadline here isn't until the start of the regular season, and I'm being told this is not a sure thing just yet." Amick wrote that the Jerami Grant trade "was a step in the right direction" for Lillard but the draft "was much more of a question mark." Amick also wrote that Simons and Nurkic re-signing and the signing of Gary Payton II are positive markers for Lillard and the Blazers. Read more
Blazers officially sign first-round draft pick Shaedon Sharpe (July 1)
The Blazers announced that they signed first-round draft pick Shaedon Sharpe on Friday. Sharpe was selected by Portland with the seventh overall pick in the first round of the NBA draft. Sharpe, a 6-foot-6 guard, is on the Blazers' summer-league roster. Portland's first summer-league game is July 7. They'll play at least five summer-league games in Las Vegas. Joining Sharpe on the summer-league roster is fellow rookie Jabari Walker, who was drafted with the 57th overall pick, as well as second-year players Greg Brown III, Keon Johnson, Trendon Watford and Brandon Williams and third year guard Didi Louzada.
Drew Eubanks agrees to one-year deal with Blazers (July 1)
Backup center Drew Eubanks will return to the team on a one-year deal, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reported. A former Beavers player and graduate of Reynolds High School in Troutdale, Eubanks signed four 10-day contracts with the Blazers starting in February before being hired for the remainder of the 2021-22 season in early April. For his career, Eubanks has averaged 5.9 points and 4.4 rebounds in 14.0 minutes per game. Read full story
Nurkic agrees to re-sign with Blazers for four years, $70 million (July 1)
Starting center Jusuf Nurkic has agreed to re-sign with the Blazers on a four-year, $70 million deal, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski. Nurkic acknowledged the news in a pair of tweets. In 272 games over the past six seasons with the Blazers, Nurkic has averaged 14.6 points, 9.9 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 1.3 blocks and 1.0 steal. Last season, Nurkic averaged 15.0 points, 11.1 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 1.1 steals and 0.6 blocks per game. He also shot a career-high 53.5% from the field. Read full story
Blazers agree to three-year, $28 million deal with Gary Payton II (June 30)
UPDATE: The Blazers and Gary Payton II agreed to a three-year deal worth $28 million, reported Shams Charania of The Athletic. Read full story
ORIGINAL POST: Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report tweeted Thursday night that the Blazers offered free agent wing Gary Payton II a contract worth about $8 million, which Fischer said he was told is the "richest contract" the versatile defender received. Fischer reports that other teams have shown interest in Payton and that there remains mutual interest between Payton and the Warriors in a possible return to Golden State. Fischer also tweeted that free agent wing Bruce Brown, another versatile defender, is a target for the Blazers (Brown later signed with the Denver Nuggets). Read the tweet
Joe Ingles agrees to sign with Milwaukee Bucks (June 30)
Forward Joe Ingles, acquired by the Blazers at the February trade deadline, won't return to Portland. Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports reported that Ingles agreed to sign with the Milwaukee Bucks for one year and $6.5 million.
Simons agrees to re-sign with Blazers for 4 years, $100 million (June 30)
Shooting guard Anfernee Simons has agreed to re-sign with the Portland Trail Blazers on a four-year deal worth $100 million, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN. Last season, Simons averaged career highs in points (17.3), assists (3.9), rebounds (2.6) and minutes (29.5). But Simons really broke out when he was thrust into the starting lineup after Damian Lillard decided to have abdominal surgery. After Jan. 3, Simons averaged 23.4 points, 5.8 assists and 2.7 rebounds in 35.4 minutes per game. Read full story
Kevin Durant requests trade from Brooklyn (June 30)
This isn't technically a Blazers rumor, but it impacts every team in the NBA and will likely put much of the free agency period on hold until it's resolved so we'll include it here. Shams Charania of The Athletic and Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reported that superstar forward Kevin Durant has asked the Brooklyn Nets to trade him. Wojnarowski reports that the Phoenix Suns and Miami Heat are among the teams on Durant's wish list but "the Nets plan to move Durant where they can get the best possible deal." On a TV appearance on ESPN's NBA free agency special, Wojnarowski said about half of the teams in the league have already contacted Brooklyn about Durant. No mention of the Blazers yet in reports about Durant.
Blazers have expressed interest in signing free agent center Isaiah Hartenstein (June 30)
UPDATE: Hartenstein agreed to a two-year, $16 million deal with the New York Knicks, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic.
PREVIOUS REPORT: Kelly Iko of The Athletic reported that the Blazers are among a handful of teams to express interest in signing free agent center Isaiah Hartenstein. The other teams listed include the Orlando Magic, Minnesota Timberwolves, New York Knicks, Phoenix Suns and Houston Rockets. Hartenstein, 24, averaged 8.3 points, 4.9 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1.1 blocks in 17.9 minutes per game last season with the L.A. Clippers. Hartenstein would likely be a backup center for the Blazers behind Jusuf Nurkic, who is expected to re-sign with Portland. Read the full report
Lillard expected to get 2-year extension worth more than $100 million from Blazers (June 29)
Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report wrote that the Blazers are expected to offer Lillard "a two-year contract extension that will exceed over $100 million." Lillard has three years remaining on his current contract so the additional two years would be for the 2025-26 and 2026-27 seasons. This isn't new information. After Neil Olshey was fired in December 2021, ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski was the first to report about Lillard's desire to sign a two-year supermax extension that would pay him more than $50 million in each of his age 35 and age 36 seasons. Now Fischer is reporting that sources are telling him the Blazers plan to make it happen. Read the full report
Projected salaries come in for Simons, Nurkic (June 29)
Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report wrote that Nurkic is expected to "sign a four-year deal worth roughly $17 million in average annual value" and Simons' new deal with the Blazers is expected to "be for four seasons, beginning at $80 million, plus room for incentives." League personnel also told Fischer that Joe Ingles could return to the Blazers, though he "appears to have plenty of interest from other teams." Read the full report
Simons could get four years, $80 million from Blazers (June 28)
Michael Scotto of HoopsHype reported that four NBA executives told him they believe Simons could get a four-year, $80 million deal in free agency. Scotto also said Simons' deal could include "incentive clauses to increase his salary." Read the full report
Simons, Nurkic expected to re-sign with Portland (June 27)
Longtime NBA reporter Marc Stein wrote in his Substack newsletter that Simons and Nurkic "are widely expected by rival teams to land news deals with the Trail Blazers after free agency opens." Read the full report
Blazers inquired about Rockets wing Kenyon Martin Jr. (June 27)
Kelly Iko of The Athletic reported that around the draft, the Blazers "inquired about Kenyon Martin Jr.," a 6-foot-6 small forward who has averaged 9.0 points and 4.3 rebounds while shooting 52.4% from the field and 36% from the 3-point line in 22.0 minutes per game over his first two seasons in the NBA. Read the full report
Portland interested in trading for 76ers wing Matisse Thybulle (June 23)
Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer reports that the Philadelphia 76ers are trying to trade for Houston Rockets guard Eric Gordon and are offering Matisse Thybulle as the primary piece in a potential trade. Pompey writes that the 76ers are trying to get a third team to participate but other teams prefer to deal exclusively with the 76ers instead of facilitating a deal that would help Philadelphia get Gordon from the Rockets. Among those teams? The Blazers. Writes Pompey: "The Portland Trail Blazers are willing to make a straight-up deal for Thybulle, according to sources." Thybulle has been named to the NBA All-Defense second team for two seasons in a row. He played four seasons at the University of Washington before he was drafted by the 76ers in the 2019 NBA draft. Read the full report
Sharpe benched by shoulder injury (July 9)
Associated Press report: Shaedon Sharpe's first Summer League with the Portland Trail Blazers is over. The No. 7 pick in last month's NBA draft has been shut down for the remainder of Portland's stay in Las Vegas because of a small labral tear in his left shoulder. An MRI performed Friday showed the extent of the injury, and the Blazers announced the diagnosis Saturday.
Sharpe was hurt in Portland's first Summer League game Thursday night. He will be re-evaluated after a period of rest and rehabilitation that is expected to last 10 to 14 days, the Blazers said.
The shooting guard from Canada spent his lone college season at Kentucky, but did not appear in a game for the Wildcats.
