The Blazers traded Little to Phoenix last season as part of the multi-team trade that sent Damian Lillard to Milwaukee.
PORTLAND, Ore. — Former Portland Trail Blazers forward Nassir Little, who was part of multi-team exchange last summer who sent franchise superstar Damian Lillard to Milwaukee, was released Wednesday by the Phoenix Suns, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic.
Little, who spent his first four seasons in Portland, played sparingly for the Suns last season. The 2.03-m wing averaged 3.4 points and 1.7 rebounds last season in 10.2 minutes per game.
The 24-year-old’s best season was 2021-22 with the Blazers, where he averaged 9.8 points and 5.6 rebounds in 25.9 minutes per game. He averaged 6.0 points and 3.2 rebounds over four seasons with Portland after the Blazers selected him with the 25th overall pick in the 2019 NBA draft.
Charania said the Suns will extend the remaining three years and $22 million on Little’s contract. Under the NBA’s collective bargaining agreement, the extension clause allows teams to spread out a player’s salary cap hit over multiple seasons after the player is waived.
Little will now be a free agent. He is still a young player and NBA teams are always looking for big forwards, so he could find a place on another team.
