Damian Lillard is reportedly about to get even richer Photo: Getty Images
It looks like Dame Time will be at the mill forever, as sources told Marc J. Spears of Andscape and Bobby Marks of ESPN that Damian Lillard agreed to a two-year, $ 122 million extension with the Portland Trail Blazers. , according to a story by Brian Windhorst of ESPN. .
With $ 42 million this season, $ 45.5 million in 2023-24 and $ 48.8 million in 2024-25, you’ll earn more than $ 60 million when you’re 35 and 36 years old.
That would be nearly $ 10 million more than Giannis Antetokuonmpo in 2025-26, and depending on how Lillard’s extension is broken, Steph Curry is expected to make more than $ 59 million this season. This is a rescue for the king, but he always made clear his desire to become the best player in the history of the franchise. You could also receive a payment.
Maybe that’s why the Blazers gave Anfernee Simons a $ 100 million deal and Jusuf Nurkic $ 70 million. Four more years of development and maybe they’ll get back to the Western Conference Finals. Hey, maybe Shaedon Sharpe will be a rotation player by then. In 2025-26 Lillard, Simons and Nurkic will earn a total of $ 107 million.
I know the limit is rising annually right now, but the figure set for 2022-23 is $ 123 million. If it increases $ 11 million each year as it did this off-season, it’s still only $ 156 million in 2025-26. If a core is good enough, a competent head office can build around it for $ 40 million, plus what the owner is willing to pay for the tax.
These three are not Steph, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green, Jody Allen is not Joe Jacob and Chauncey Billups is not Steve Kerr. I have a bad feeling about that.
At the same time, I’m glad Lillard is buried with his riches because I’m a fan of the Blazers. I just hope I can sleep at night, but I guess with that kind of security, it will be pretty easy.
If Baker Mayfield was a divisor, what is Deshaun Watson?
According to Jason Lloyd, “Mayfield was widely seen as childish and immature.” Photo: Getty Images
Baker Mayfield getting a few farewell shots at the exit of the door was inevitable. He is an emotional player who performed poorly on a talented team and eventually found a coach who was less expendable than him. While I’m sure it felt good for whoever shared how much Mayfield bothered them, I’m less sure Athletic should have received a double ball of grievances.
According to Jason Lloyd, “Mayfield was widely seen as childish and immature. His behavior upset teammates and divided the locker room. It was often difficult to train.”
Head coach Kevin Stefanski and Mayfield disagreed on philosophies, and the quarterfinals were disastrous for Mayfield. We get it. After a while it scratches you.
I just don’t think Cleveland should have kept up the tradition of sports journalism by leaking a lot of Mayfield slander and complaining about the division when the locker room should disagree with the current quarterback. How many women players would want Deshaun Watson to be at home for a team dinner?
If you’ve come across Watson wandering around an empty FirstEnergy Stadium with his robe on, as Mayfield did in so many Progressive ads, your reaction won’t be confused. I bet Baker didn’t bring a towel after the showers. Oh, I forgot, Watson’s cloth was just for massage therapists.
Instead of whispering sweet protests about Mayfield in Lloyd’s ear, try to give him a real story and tell us what the players are saying about the boy who has yet to settle his 24 civil lawsuits. I couldn’t care less how Watson is enduring or anything else going on in therapy sessions with local media.
Lloyd mentions the comment the Browns made on ESPN about wanting an “adult in the room.” Apparently, there aren’t many, be they coaches or players or managers or owners. Great, you pressed Baker’s eject button and you had a couple of witty phrases that you can’t resist reciting on camera afterwards. Way to act like all the club idiots. That’s not to say that a Jimmy Haslem-led franchise is exempt from being a basic dirt bag. What I am trying to convey is that there was a certain charisma that has now disappeared.
Not long ago the Browns were a beloved new fad like a cronut or a ceviche. I want to go back to this version, because this new iteration is dirty and crunchy and soulless and too similar to the rest of the NFL.