Damian Lillard Eligible for Supermax Extension After Making All-NBA Second Team
Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard was named to the All-NBA Second Team on Thursday, making him eligible for a supermax extension come free agency, which begins July 1.
Lillard is one of the best guards in the league, averaging 25.8 points and 6.9 assists for Portland this season. The Trail Blazers lost the Western Conference finals to the Warriors. He has been with Portland since 2012 when he was selected with the No. 6 overall pick in the NBA draft. He was unanimously voted NBA Rookie of the Year. He is a four-time All-Star, and he has now been selected to an All-NBA team four times in his career.
Lillard has two years remaining on a five-year deal he inked in 2016, but this summer, he's now expected to sign a four-year, $191 million supermax extension.
To be eligible for supermax contract, which is formally called the Designated Veteran Extension, players can only sign those respective deals with their current teams and must have been in the league for seven or eight years and have not been traded since the first four years in the NBA.
Players must also meet these three qualifications:
- Be named the NBA MVP in any of the three most recent seasons
- Be named the NBA Defensive Player of the Year this season, or in two of the last three seasons
- Be named to an All-NBA team this season, or in two of the last three seasons
Only four players have inked super-max deals since the concept was introduced: James Harden, Stephen Curry, Russell Westbrook and John Wall.
Kemba Walker is eligible for the deal as well after Thursday's honors were announced. Giannis Antetokounmpo in position to sign the largest contract in NBA history.
