Blazers Haven’t Made Contract Decisions on Napier, Connaughton, Layman

The Portland Trail Blazers kicked off their NBA Free Agency officially Wednesday by tendering the qualifying offer to Jusuf Nurkic. However, no decision on Shabazz Napier, Pat Connaughton, or Jake Layman has been made yet ahead of the June 30 deadline, according to Joe Freeman of The Oregonian:

The team has not yet made decisions on any of those roster moves, according to a league source.

Napier and Connaughton can become restricted free agents like Nurkic if the Blazers send them the qualifying offer, which allows Portland the chance to match any offers they get from opposing teams. If they don’t receive the qualifying offer, Napier and Connaughton will become unrestricted free agents and are able to sign freely with any team of their choosing.

Layman’s contract status is up in the air as his 2018-19 salary guarantees after June 30. If Portland cuts him on or before that date, they won’t be on the hook for the approximately $1.54 million he’s owed. 2018-19 is the last of the three-year contract he signed after being drafted in the second round.