Deadline Nearing For 2018/19 Rookie Scale Option Decisions

Halloween isn’t as important a date on the NBA calendar as it once was, but is still features one important deadline: October 31 is the last day for teams to exercise 2018/19 team options on players’ rookie scale contracts.

The standard NBA rookie contract for first-round picks includes two guaranteed years, followed by third- and fourth-year team options. Rather than waiting until the end of the season to make a call on those options though, teams are required to make their decisions a year early.

If an option for 2018/19 is exercised this month, that player’s salary for next year will become fully guaranteed. If the option is declined, it will ensure that the player becomes an unrestricted free agent next summer, and it’ll limit the club’s ability to re-sign him.

As our tracker shows, many teams have already exercised their rookie scale team options for 2018/19. And of those that haven’t yet been exercised, some are no-brainers — the 76ers haven’t officially picked up Ben Simmons‘ third-year option yet, but it’s not like there’s any debate over whether they’ll eventually do so.

[RELATED: Five Looming Team Option Decisions To Watch]

Still, not every option is a lock to be exercised. The full list of option decisions we’re waiting on can be found below, sorted by cap hits. Teams have until next Tuesday to make their decisions.

Fourth-year options:

• Jahlil Okafor, Sixers ($6,313,832)
• Mario Hezonja, Magic ($5,167,231)
• Willie Cauley-Stein, Kings ($4,696,875)
• Frank Kaminsky, Hornets ($3,627,842)
• Cameron Payne, Bulls ($3,263,294)
• Terry Rozier, Celtics ($3,050,390)
• Rashad Vaughn, Bucks ($2,901,565)
• Sam Dekker, Clippers ($2,760,095)
• Jerian Grant, Bulls ($2,639,314)
• Justin Anderson, Sixers ($2,516,048)
• Bobby Portis, Bulls ($2,494,346)
• Jarell Martin, Grizzlies ($2,416,222)
• Josh Huestis, Thunder ($2,243,326)
• Chris McCullough, Wizards ($2,243,326)
• Kevon Looney, Warriors ($2,227,081)

Third-year options:

• Ben Simmons, Sixers ($6,434,520)
• Jaylen Brown, Celtics ($5,169,960)
• Kris Dunn, Bulls ($4,221,000)
• Buddy Hield, Kings ($3,833,760)
• Thon Maker, Bucks ($2,799,720)
• Dario Saric, Sixers ($2,526,840)
• Georgios Papagiannis, Kings ($2,400,480)
• Denzel Valentine, Bulls ($2,280,600)
• Malachi Richardson, Kings ($1,569,360)
• Brice Johnson, Clippers ($1,544,951)
• Damian Jones, Warriors ($1,544,951)
• Skal Labissiere, Kings ($1,544,951)
• Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot, Sixers ($1,544,951)

Information from Basketball Insiders was used in the creation of this post.