Report: Blazers Sign Greg Brown III to Three-Year Deal
The Trail Blazers have clearly liked what they've seen from Greg Brown III at Summer League in Las Vegas.
Portland has signed Brown, the team's lone selection in the 2021 NBA draft, to a three-year, $4.3 million contract that includes a partial guarantee on the final season, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype.
The Blazers announced the signing of Brown on Thursday, but didn't release terms of the contract.
Portland traded a future second-rounder to the New Orleans Pelicans on draft night for the No. 43 pick, subsequently selecting Brown.
The standard contract for second-round picks is a two-year deal worth the league minimum. Some teams, especially those operating under strict cap constraints, have in recent years begun affording second-round rookies longer, more lucrative contracts, in part to fill a roster spot on the cheap for multiple seasons with a cost-controlled young player.
By giving Brown a third year, thus potentially securing his full Bird Rights after the 2023-24 season, the Blazers weren't allowed to sign him for the minimum. Instead, Portland allotted a small portion of the taxpayer mid-level exception for Brown's deal. The Blazers still have approximately $4 million of the mini mid-level to add a free agent, though recent reporting suggests they have no plans of doing so.
Brown, a 6-foot-9 forward with elite vertical pop and impressive positional length, has been a fleeting individual bright spot for Portland's veteran Summer League roster.
Showing off the rare natural gifts that made him a consensus top-10 high school recruit barely a year ago as well as the lagging skill and developing feel that caused him to slide down draft boards during an underwhelming freshman season at Texas, Brown is averaging 10.0 points, 4.3 rebounds and 1.0 steal over 18.5 minutes per game in Las Vegas. He's shooting 54.2 percent overall and 30.0 percent from beyond the arc, evidence of his imminence as a towering lob threat and nascent three-point shooting ability.
Brown and the Summer Blazers are back in action at 6:00 p.m. on Saturday against the Phoenix Suns.