Steve Blake Exercises Contract Option with the Portland Trail Blazers

To the surprise of almost nobody. the Portland Trail Blazers announced today that guard Steve Blake is exercising the option on the final year of his contract. Blake's deal, inked last season, paid him $2.1 million in 2014-15 with a $2.2 million player option for 2015-16. By exercising that option Blake guarantees himself that salary and confirms the obligation against Portland's salary cap beginning in July.

Blake averaged 4.3 points on 37.3% shooting with 3.6 assists in 18.9 minutes per game for the Blazers last season. He shot a near career-low from the three-point arc at 35.2%. He shot 18.2% from the field and 12.5% from the arc while scoring 1.4 ppg in Portland's playoff run. His career stats are listed in this press release from the Trail Blazers:

PORTLAND, Ore. (June 19, 2015) - Portland Trail Blazers guard Steve Blake has exercised his player option for the 2015-16 season, it was announced today by President of Basketball Operations Neil Olshey.

Blake (6-3, 172) appeared in 81 games for the Trail Blazers last season. In 350 games (232 starts) over five seasons with Portland, Blake holds averages of 7.8 points (41.4% FG, 39.8% 3-PT, 78.2% FT), 2.2 rebounds and 4.5 assists.

For his career, Blake has averages of 6.7 points (40.1% FG, 38.5% 3-PT, 77.8% FT), 2.1 rebounds and 4.0 assists over 12 seasons with Washington, Portland, Milwaukee, Denver, L.A. Clippers, L.A. Lakers and Golden State.

Blake, 34, played four years at the University of Maryland, where he won an NCAA Championship in 2002, and was selected by the Washington Wizards with the ninth pick in the second round (38th overall) of the 2003 NBA Draft.

The final paragraph of the release contains an error. Blake is 35.