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Though they traded for big-name veterans Hassan Whiteside and Kent Bazemore this summer, the Portland Trail Blazers are still banking on rookie-contract stalwarts Zach Collins and Anfernee Simons for internal improvement and fiscal sanity. Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reported today that the Blazers have exercised the fourth-year option on Collins’ contract and the third-year option on Simons’.
Portland has exercised fourth year option on Zach Collins and third year option for Anfernee Simons, league source tells ESPN.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) September 24, 2019
ESPN capologist Bobby Marks offers further details:
2 players that are expected to have a huge role in Portland this season. $2.25M cap hit (2020-21) for the 20-year old Simons and $5.4M (2020-21) for the 21 year-old Collins. https://t.co/CCmqyHlAnr
— Bobby Marks (@BobbyMarks42) September 24, 2019
Collins averaged 6.6 points and 4.2 rebounds for the Blazers last season in 17.6 minutes per game. He played in 77 of Portland’s 82 games.
Simons averaged 3.8 points in 7.1 minutes per game, appearing 20 times.