Everything you said can be applied to every max contract handed out after a rookoe deal, as an extension and not a RFA contract.
When we offer him a max extension in 2020 and he says no, we can assume that we should tread carefully before letting him get to UFA. 3/39.
Not quite. Limiting your parameters to post rookie max contracts is a pretty exclusive group anyway, but the reality is that Lillard is more than quintupling his pay, and that's hardly chump change. What does make this deal unique is that it makes him the highest paid NBA guard ever... for now. There's no doubt that a young all star should be rewarded with a contract that leaves the rookie numbers in the dust, but $25 mill is $25 mill and Lillard has just signed on to one sweet deal. He gets great money, stays in an area he likes where he knows that the fans love him, and most importantly, the ink on this contract ensures that the Blazers are his team. I am hoping he can step up to the cerebral demands of that position. Fandom in its blind idolatry may label this as blasphemy, but Lillard needs to rise to the greatness for which this contract is pre-paying him. The great ones have off nights in which their exemplary physical skills are a little askew. They become great ones because they use the muscle between their ears to help engineer wins even when their shooting is south of 30%. There were games during the regular season where Lillard clearly showed he could do this - now that he will soon alone hold the title of be Mr. Blazer, I look forward to a more mature Damian Lillard who can not only make insane shots, but can make the rest of his team look and function better.
