JaVale McGee almost became a member of the Celtics this week, but Boston wanted the deal to include a team option for the 2015/16 season while McGee’s camp was pushing for a player option instead. For McGee, having the player option would have given the big man a level of financial security for next season, but the Celtics apparently wanted to see how McGee blended in with the team before committing to him for longer than the remainder of the 2014/15 campaign.
There are a total of 31 players who hold player options for next season. This includes marquee players like Goran Dragic, who reportedly intends to decline his option in order to ink a long-term deal, and LeBron James, who has maintained that he doesn’t intend to leave Cleveland, but wants to have the ability to ink a much more lucrative deal when the NBA’s new television deal begins in 2016. There are also players like Chase Budinger and Eric Gordon on this list who will likely exercise their options because their market value has dropped since inking their last pact.
Listed below in alphabetical order are those possessing player options for the 2015/16 season and the respective cap hit for each:
- Arron Afflalo (Blazers) $7.75MM
- Al-Farouq Aminu (Mavs) $1,100,602
- Alan Anderson (Nets) $1,333,484
- Steve Blake (Blazers) $2,170,465
- Chase Budinger (Timberwolves) $5MM
- Ed Davis (Lakers) $1,100,602
- Luol Deng (Heat) $10,151,612
- Goran Dragic (Heat) $7.5MM
- Jared Dudley (Bucks) $4.25MM
- Monta Ellis (Mavs) $8.72MM
- Raymond Felton (Mavs) $3,950,313
- Eric Gordon (Pelicans) $15,514,031
- Danny Granger (Suns) $2,170,465
- Jeff Green (Grizzlies) $9.2MM
- Gerald Henderson (Hornets) $6MM
- Roy Hibbert (Pacers) $15,514,031
- Kirk Hinrich (Bulls) $2,854,940
- LeBron James (Cavs) $21,573,398
- Al Jefferson (Hornets) $13.5MM
- Brook Lopez (Nets) $16,744,218
- Kevin Love (Cavs) $16,744,218
- Cartier Martin (Pistons) $1,270,964
- Mike Miller (Cavs) $2,854,940
- Jameer Nelson (Nuggets) $2,854,940
- Paul Pierce (Wizards) $5,543,725
- Brandon Rush (Warriors) $1,270,964
- J.R. Smith (Cavs) $6,399,750
- Garrett Temple (Wizards) $1,100,602
- Dwyane Wade (Heat) $16.125MM
- David West (Pacers) $12.6MM
- Thaddeus Young (Nets) $10,221,739
The Basketball Insiders salary pages were used in the creation of this post.