No extension for Portland Trail Blazers' Greg Oden
A spokesman for the Portland Trail Blazers announced that the team will not pick up the contract option on former number one pick Greg Oden before the deadline for contract extensions
on Monday.
According to a report from the Oregonian, the team and Oden's representatives have agreed that there would be no contract extension for the former Ohio State standout.
Dubious distinction
The development gives Oden the dubious distinction of being the latest number one overall pick who was not offered an extension at the end of his rookie contract. The last top pick who
did not receive an extension was Kwame Brown. Brown was the number one overall pick in the 2001 NBA Draft.
Shortened season
Oden, who was picked ahead of Kevin Durant in the 2007 NBA Draft, has appeared in only 82 games since entering the league. Oden missed the entire 2007-08 season
after undergoing microfracture knee surgery. Last season, he showed some promise before being injured in December. Oden, who has yet to recover from a fractured left patella, is currently sidelined. According to a report from the Portland Tribune, he is not
expected to be back on the court until late in November. Oden played 21 games last season and averaged 11.1 points, 8.5 rebounds and 2.3 blocked shots while hitting 60.5 percent of his field goal attempts.
In an interview with AOL FanHouse, Bill Duffy, Oden's agent, said that his client would not be signing an extension before the contract extension deadline. As a
result, Oden will be a restricted free agent next off-season. This means that the Trail Blazers will have the option of matching any offers Oden will receive from other teams.
Trail Blazers extend Batum and Fernandez
After Portland's 100-95 victory against the New York Knicks, the team announced that it has exercised fourth-year options on forward Nicolas Batum and guard Rudy
Fernandez. Batum, the team's starting small forward, was sidelined for most of last season due to a shoulder injury. Batum did not play the first 45 games before reclaiming his spot in the team's starting rotation. He played in 37 games and 10.1 points and
3.8 rebounds. The Frenchman also shot 51.9 percent from the field and 40.9 from beyond the arc.
Fernandez, who was the primary backup to star shooting guard Brandon Roy, averaged 8.1 points, 2.7 rebounds and 2.0 assists. During the offseason, Fernandez was
fined $25,000 by the league due to "public statements detrimental to the NBA." T
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