The Oregonian/OregonLive is taking a player-by-player look at the Portland Trail Blazers roster heading into the offseason.
Other posts: Justise Winslow; Trendon Watford; Greg Brown III; Keon Johnson; CJ Elleby; Brandon Williams; Ben McLemore; Drew Eubanks; Elijah Hughes; Keljin Blevins; DiDi Louzada; Joe Ingles; Eric Bledsoe; Reggie Perry; Kris Dunn.
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Today: Nassir Little, 22, 6-foot-5, forward.
Contract status: A first-round pick in 2019, Little will make just under $4.2 million next season after earning over $2.3 million this season. The Blazers must make Little a qualifying offer of $6.1 million in the summer of 2023 in order to make him a restricted free agent. However, Blazers general manager Joe Cronin said it’s possible a contract extension could be negotiated this summer.
“I’m a huge fan of him and if we can figure something out, that’d be great,” Cronin said.
Likelihood to return: Almost assuredly. Little could become the team’s starting small forward. Or, it’s possible that he could be a valuable piece in a trade package that lands Portland a proven star.
2021-22 contributions: Little saw an increased role this season, making 23 starts in 42 appearances before a shoulder injury ended his season in late January.
Little averaged 9.8 points per game with 5.6 rebounds on the season while shooting 46% from the field and 33.1% on threes.
His best month came in January when he played 31.5 minutes per game and upped his scoring to 13.1 points per game with 5.7 rebounds. That month, Little shot 45.4% from the field and 40.2% on 3.1 three-point attempts per game.
Strengths/weaknesses: Blazers coach Chauncey Billups instructed Little before the season that the best path toward an increased role was to provide defense and energy while not worrying about his offensive production.
In other words, don’t shoot the ball unless you’re wide open.
Little took the advice to heart and became the team’s prime supplier of energy off the bench. He aggressively went after rebounds, hustled in transition in both directions, became disruptive on defense and, when needed, made timely baskets here and there.
Little’s shooting touch remains a work in progress, but he shot 40% on attempts from 20 to 24 feet and hit on 8 of 16 (50%) on shots from 15 to 19 feet.
The biggest negative regarding Little to this point has been his durability. He missed 39 games this season after sitting out 24 in 2020-21.
Little underwent core muscle surgery this week.
2022-23 outlook: Cronin said he is excited about Little’s potential, pointing out that he had shown flashes in the past before putting things together for longer stretches this season while demonstrating a greater set of skills.
Ballhandling, shooting, playmaking, transition work and rebounding were all areas where Cronin said he saw Little begin to excel. Then it all came to an end with the shoulder injury.
“His talent is obvious,” Cronin said. “The next step for him was his consistency and we were just starting to find that ... He’s a really talented guy, who the future is extremely bright for. He is just scratching the surface. And his confidence is just getting to where it needs to be.”
But is Little ready to be the team’s full-time starter?
The main competition right now would be Josh Hart, who came to Portland in a trade after Little was lost for the season. So, the pair never played together. Hart proved a very versatile player whom Billups values greatly.
Hart, 27, is definitely a better scorer and a more polished all-around player. But he is a better fit at shooting guard, where Anfernee Simons will start.
Regardless of who starts, it’s clear that the Blazers will rely heavily on further development from Little next season.
-- Aaron Fentress | afentress@Oregonian.com | @AaronJFentress (Twitter), @AaronJFentress (Instagram), @AaronFentress (Facebook).
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