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TSN Raptors Reporter

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TORONTO – Just about everything in Norman Powell’s profile would suggest he’s not afraid to bet on himself. He’s been doing it his entire life, which is why it was somewhat surprising that he agreed to a four-year, $42 million contract extension with the Raptors this past week.

The deal – made official on Sunday – is the maximum Powell was eligible for under the new collective bargaining agreement and one that would at least appear to be on the team friendly side. Toronto couldn’t have offered the third-year guard more even if it wanted to, not until next summer when he would have hit the open market as a restricted free agent and had a chance to truly cash in.

Playing out the final year of his rookie contract would have been a gamble, to be sure, a risk/reward scenario. Nine months is more than enough time for a player’s value to swing drastically, in either direction, depending on performance and health. However, in a league that covets two-way wings more than ever before, it’s reasonable to imagine he might have found himself in high demand, especially if he ends up breaking out in his expanded role this season, as many are predicting.

So why not roll the dice? It’s not for a lack of confidence or ambition on his part, few young athletes possess the level of self-assurance and drive that Powell is blessed with. Sure, the security of a long-term deal had to appeal to a former second-round pick and player that earned just $1.5 million in his first two NBA seasons combined, but there was also an emotional component to his decision.

“I didn't have the mindset that I was gonna get an extension, I just knew I wanted to stay here,” the 24-year-old said. “No matter what happened, whether I got it or I went into restricted free agency, I wanted to stay here. I love Toronto, I love the city, I love the organization, I love my teammates, and I think we have something special here.”

The feeling is mutual, of course. Powell became an immediate fan favourite on account of his gritty defence, electrifying dunks and relentless effort on both ends of the floor. As for the Raptors, they fell in love with him the moment he walked into the gym for his pre-draft workout back in the summer of 2015.

There was something about the fit between team and player that seemed to make sense. It’s no coincidence that Powell shares a number of defining qualities with his teammates: his worth ethic, a maturity that extends well beyond his years and that chip-on-the-shoulder mentality. Those are things the organization looks for and puts a premium on. It’s also given them an identity they can be proud of, one that players like Powell – or DeMar DeRozan and Kyle Lowry before him – can connect with and want to continue to be apart of.

“I think the organization and the city and country as a whole represents who I am,” said the San Diego, Calif., native. “Being the underdogs, being overlooked constantly, especially the organization, we're always middle-of-the-pack people who are less likely to make it to the finals, whatever it is. I think it's been me, it's been my whole career - Less likely to do this, that, make it to the NBA, going to play overseas - I was overlooked and [people] said I wouldn't make it. I love everything about the organization and my team, and it was just a place I wanted to be.”

The decision was an easy one for him, perhaps easier than it should have been, given the money he may have left on the table by forgoing restricted free agency. Maybe he could have made more next summer while still remaining with the Raptors, either by re-upping with them outright or signing a big offer sheet elsewhere in the hopes that Toronto matches. That is far from a guarantee though, especially when you factor in the team’s proximity to the luxury tax. After taking a few days to mull it over, conferring with family, his agent and DeRozan while they were in Hawaii for training camp last week, it was a done deal.

“It means everything to me,” Powell told TSN following Sunday’s practice. “I have big aspirations for my future and for them to see that and put their faith and trust into the work I’ve done going forward, it means everything to me that they believe in me. And I believe in them and what our team and this organization can do for the city, for the country and for the NBA. So I think we have something special going on up here.”