Jaynes: Is Blazers F/C J.J. Hickson Gunning For A New Contract?

Dwight Jaynes of CSNNW.com writes that there is skepticism that Portland Trail Blazers forward/center J.J. Hickson will keep up his current production if he signs a multi-year contract this summer.

One of the most interesting questions of the free-agency period this season will be whether Portland power forward-center JJ Hickson will get the big contract you'd think he deserves. Hickson is having a career season, but there's a lingering belief within the league that once he gets the big contract, you won't see his motor revving up to the same RPMs he's churning for the Trail Blazers this season. It's hard to watch him, though, and wonder how a team with cap space could ignore his combination of rebounding and inside scoring.

Hickson, 24, is averaging 13.1 points and 10.8 rebounds while shooting 56.4 percent from the floor.

-- Ben Golliver | benjamin.golliver@gmail.com | Twitter