Former Blazers First-Round Pick Signs With Eastern Conference Powerhouse

Matt Levine

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As the Portland Trail Blazers get ready for the new NBA season, a former first-round pick of theirs has signed with an Eastern Conference powerhouse. Forward Nassir Little has agreed on a one-year deal with the Miami Heat for the upcoming season.

NBA insider Chris Haynes reported the news of the free agent signing on social media.

Little spent last season with the Phoenix Suns after he was traded away from the Trail Blazers. He was part of the three-team deal that sent former Portland star point guard Damian Lillard to the Milwaukee Bucks.

The Suns waived Little earlier in the offseason to open up a roster spot to create some flexibility for signings and trades this coming season. He was a valuable piece to what the Suns did a year ago but became a needed loss for a team with major title aspirations.

The former first-round pick of the Trail Blazers showed that he had value around the league and landed with the Heat. Little was taken by the Trail Blazers with the No. 25 overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft out of the University of North Carolina.

Little spent the first few seasons of his career with Portland and was a decent part of their rotation. His best season came in the 2020-21 year when he averaged 9.8 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 1.3 assists per game.

Last season with the Suns, he averaged 3.4 points, 1.7 rebounds, and 0.5 assists per game. Little shot 30.0 from beyond the 3-point line, only seeing 10.2 minutes per game for Phoenix last season.

While he has been a good player in the league over the years, the biggest knock on his game has been his inconsistency beyond the 3-point line. He is a career 33 percent shooter from deep, which is a lower number than most NBA teams are looking for in this new era.

Portland gave Little a four-year, $28 million contract extension before the start of the 2022 season but decided to part ways with him. He has been hit with injuries throughout his career, never playing more than 54 games in a single season, which happened in his final year with the Trail Blazers.

Little will be looking to make his impact with the Heat and help them get over the hump in the Eastern Conference this season.

More Trail Blazers: Former Blazers Forward Signs With Eastern Conference Squad

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Matt Levine
MATT LEVINE

Matt earned a Master of Science degree in Sport Management from Louisiana State University in 2021. He was born and raised in the Los Angeles area, covering all Southern California sports in his career.

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