The Portland Trail Blazers made a couple of major moves for the future of their franchise ahead of the NBA’s opening week. Among those moves was the decision to sign Toumani Camara to an extension.
According to a report, Camara is expected to make $82 million over a four-year span with the Blazers.
via @ShamsCharania: Portland Trail Blazers All-Defensive forward Toumani Camara has agreed on a four-year, $82 million contract extension with the franchise, agent Dave Putterie tells ESPN. Camara has blossomed into a vital and durable two-way player after being picked No. 52 in the 2023 NBA draft.
Portland Trail Blazers All-Defensive forward Toumani Camara has agreed on a four-year, $82 million contract extension with the franchise, agent Dave Putterie tells ESPN. Camara has blossomed into a vital and durable two-way player after being picked No. 52 in the 2023 NBA draft. pic.twitter.com/w26EMi6V8N
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) October 19, 2025
The first name, Alex Caruso of the Oklahoma City Thunder, is a great comp. The Thunder invested in Caruso due to his undeniable value on the defensive end. Caruso was a big help for the Thunder amid their championship run this past season.
Pre-injury Lonzo Ball was a major reason for the Chicago Bulls’ hot streak before he went down a few years ago. He held impressive value on both ends of the floor, which made his deal look like a steal initially for the Bulls. At this point, Ball has played out that deal. He is now on a two-year, $20 million contract with the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Apr 6, 2025; Portland, Oregon, USA; Portland Trail Blazers forward Toumani Camara (33) drives to the basket against San Antonio Spurs center Bismack Biyombo (18) during the second half at Moda Center. Mandatory Credit: Soobum Im-Imagn Images / Soobum Im-Imagn Images
The 25-year-old Belgium-born forward has had quite the run after a busy college stretch. In 2019, Camara attended Georgia, where he played in 32 games as a freshman. During his sophomore season, he started all 25 games he played, averaging 12.8 points, 7.7 rebounds, 1.2 steals, and 1.1 blocks per game.
During the 2021-2022 season, Camara made a move to Dayton, where he started full-time for 34 games. He wrapped up his senior season with a 34-game run. Camara averaged 13.9 points, shooting 54 percent from the field and 36 percent from three. He came down with 8.6 rebounds per game, and averaged 1.2 steals.
Camara wrapped up his college career with 125 appearances. When he entered the NBA Draft in 2023, he dropped to the second round. The Phoenix Suns made the call to select Camara, but flipped him to the Trail Blazers.
Apr 9, 2025; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Portland Trail Blazers forward Toumani Camara (33) shoots over Utah Jazz center Kyle Filipowski (22) in the second half at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Jamie Sabau-Imagn Images / Jamie Sabau-Imagn Images
At this point, Camara has two seasons under his belt in Portland. As a rookie, he started 49 of the 70 games he played. His second season showed plenty of improvement in all areas of the game. Offensively, Camara averaged 11.3 points and 2.2 assists, while shooting 45 percent from the field and 37 percent from beyond the arc.
Defensively, Camara came down with 5.8 rebounds and averaged 1.5 steals per game. He earned NBA All-Defensive Second Team honors for the 2024-2025 season.
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