The incomparable Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports just tweeted...
Lamarcus Aldridge has agreed to a five year extension worth approximately $70 million with Portland, a league source tells Y! Sports.
While you're enjoying this news from Awoj, don't miss Yahoo!'s great Blazers preview, with contributions from Kelly Dwyer and JE Skeets.
Update (4:24 PM): Adrian Wojnarowski just added...
Lamarcus Aldridge extension could reach $70 million with incentives, but assures him between $65-$68 million over five seasons with Portland
Update (4:48PM): The official story posted on Yahoo! that echoes the tweets above.
Update (5:06PM):
Chad Ford of ESPN tweets...
Blazers strike a deal with LaMarcus Aldridge on a 5 year, $65 mil deal. Goes to $70 mil with hard to reach bonuses. Link coming ...
and also...
Bargnani ($50 mil), Roy ($80 mil) & Aldridge ($65 mil) only players from Draft Class of 2006 to get big extensions ...
Here's Chad Ford's full story.
The Portland Trail Blazers have verbally agreed in principle to a contract extension with forward LaMarcus Aldridge, a source close to the process told ESPN.com.
Meanwhile, Jason Quick of The Oregonian quotes LaMarcus Aldridge saying that the deal "is very close" but notes it's not completely finalized.
Trail Blazers forward LaMarcus Aldridge is nearing a five-year extension with the Trail Blazers, the player said Thursday night, but the details of the deal have yet to be worked out.
Brian T. Smith of the Vancouver Columbian also quotes Kevin Pritchard saying it's not completely finalized.
Portland general manager Kevin Pritchard said earlier today he was optimistic a deal would be reached with Aldridge.
"I hope so," Pritchard said. "But you never say it's done until the ink gets dry."
Update (5:32PM):
Bill Simmons, "The Sports Guy", weighs in...
Any time you can lock up a non All-Star like LaMarcus Aldridge for $65 million, you have to do it.
Bill Simmons back with more...
Fyi: I wouldn't give any NBA megaextension except for a Durant type. Market swung too drastically. Aldridge worth 65m 3 yrs ago but not now.
Our Salary Cap Guru, Storyteller, weighs in down in the BE comments...
Aldridge just agreed to sign for about 90% of the max. Which is pretty good.
-- Ben (benjamin.golliver@gmail.com)