Portland Trail Blazers shooting guard Wesley Matthews tore his left achilles just before the playoffs, leaving him out for the remainder of the season. Matthews has been an intricate piece to the uprising Trail Blazers. In his absence they acquired Arron Afflalo, who also missed time during the playoffs and is expected to opt out of his deal and become a free agent.
Despite coming back from a major injury, Sam Amick of USA Today reports that Matthews is looking to sign a multi-year deal at around $15 million per year:
According to a person with knowledge of Matthews’ situation, he is seeking a multi-year deal that pays approximately $15 million annually. The person spoke to USA TODAY Sports on the condition of anonymity because of the private nature of such discussions.
Matthews’ salary was at just above $7 million last season.
Trail Blazers President of Basketball Operations Neil Olshey expressed some reluctance to re-sign Matthews this summer in free agency. With Afflalo expected to opt out it would clear more cap space for Portland to potentially meet Matthews’ demands, but even before Amick’s report of what Matthews is looking for salary-wise, Olshey had concerns, primarily because of the nature of his injury.
Amick’s report also implies that Matthews’ steep asking figure derives from knowledge of the salary cap increasing in 2016-17 and the NBA’s new TV deal. From that perspective, Matthews might feel that the figure is reasonable after proving his worth, averaging nearly 16 points per game before getting hurt. Matthews is said to be ahead of schedule with his recovery and has returned to basketball activities. Portland also has LaMarcus Aldridge‘s free agency to consider, which makes this a crucial decision-making summer for a team that is probably right on the cusp of being considered as part of the Western Conference elite.
