The Toronto Raptors and guard Norman Powell have come to terms on a contract extension, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.
Toronto Raptors guard Norman Powell has agreed to a four-year, $42 million contract extension, league sources told ESPN.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) October 5, 2017
The former 2015 second-round pick has shown he can contribute to a team that is looking to dethrone LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Raptors couldn’t afford for a young talented guard like Powell to hit the open market this coming summer and risk losing him for nothing.
Wojnarowski also reports that the contract has a player option in the fourth year.
In two full seasons in the NBA, Powell has averaged 7.6 points and two rebounds per game. Last season he played in a career-high 76 games.
Powell, a product of UCLA, has enough upside that he could have demanded a pretty sizable contract once he hit free agency. He is an incredible athlete with an offensive game that continues to show potential.
He was a significant factor in the playoffs last year, putting up averages of 11 points and three rebounds in nine postseason games.
His growing defensive prowess is one of the major keys to his burgeoning game. In that same postseason, he averaged a steal a game.
According to Jeff Fischer of Sports Illustrated, the Raptors, expecting to have to cut a bigger check, gauged the market on Powell sometime in May.
The Raptors quietly shopped Norman Powell before the draft, anticipating a bigger contract. Toronto must be backflipping at 4 years, $42M.
— Jake Fischer (@JakeLFischer) October 5, 2017
Luckily for both sides, a deal got done. Toronto is looking to make a push in the eastern conference this season. Something they signaled with Kyle Lowry and Serge Ibaka signing multi-year contracts in July.
Powell averaged 8.6 points and two rebounds in 18 minutes per game last season.
