Talented second-round pick! 82 million! From fringe player to defensive core!

A second-round pick who was packaged and traded on the night of the draft ended up carving out a dark horse path in the league:

A four-year, $82 million contract.

This is an achievement that Kamara has striven for. Although he is in the rebuilding Trail Blazers, as a desperate player in the team, this young striker should really be paid attention to.

Below, let’s take a look at Kamala’s growth path and the story of this rising star.

The preseason ended on October 18th and the regular season started on October 22nd. In just a few days, although there were no games scheduled, the NBA still did not let the heat drop. Many teams rushed to maintain their competitiveness at the buzzer. Keegan Murray signed a five-year, $140 million contract with the Kings, Sharp reached a four-year, $90 million contract extension with the Trail Blazers, and Durant also successfully completed a two-year, $90 million contract extension with a reduced salary.

Among these dazzling names, Kamara is still a little surprised. This four-year, 82 million contract falls on a 2023 second-round pick. It will inevitably make fans stunned:

This is just a second-round pick. Is he really worth it?

Looking back at Kamara's NBA career, the start was dramatic. He was selected by the Suns on draft night in 2023, and was then packaged and traded to the Trail Blazers. He didn't even get a chance to take root. On the first day, he had to adapt to the new team and new system.

Perhaps it was this kind of trading starting point that made this young man understand the cruelty of the league early. Judging from his rookie season, his personal statistics are not amazing. He played in 70 games, including 49 starts, averaging 7.5 points, 4.9 rebounds and 1.2 assists per game. Despite the sluggish record, this player began to gradually enter the fans' field of vision.

The Trail Blazers encountered a wave of injuries last season, and Kamara once again seized the opportunity to directly play himself into the core position of the team. He started all 78 games in a single season, averaged 29 minutes per game, contributed 11.3 points, 5.8 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.5 steals, and averaged 1.7 three-pointers per game. All statistics were career-high.

In addition to basic statistics, according to statistics, Kamara caused 91 offensive fouls against opponents and 31 collisions with the ball last season. All three statistics ranked first in the league. In the end, he was successfully selected to the All-Defensive Second Team, becoming the second player from the Trail Blazers to be selected to the All-Defensive Team after Ratliff in the 2003-04 season.

At this stage, this second-round pick has been recognized, and his 82 million contract has surpassed many high-ranking players. To borrow the evaluation of the Trail Blazers team reporter:

"He has become the core of our defensive system, a 3D lock that continues to evolve. This contract is worth every penny."