An Early Look At Five 2018/19 Player Options
Back in 2016, player option decisions were essentially mere formalities. With the NBA salary cap set to spike, nearly every veteran with a player option on his contract decided to opt out and explore the free agent market. Only three players – Tim Duncan, Mo Williams, and Caron Butler – exercised their player options that year, and none of those players have appeared in the NBA since then.
The market shifted a little in 2017, as five players picked up their player options, and several other players perhaps should have. Dante Cunningham, Rudy Gay, Aron Baynes, and Nick Young are among the players earning less this season than they would have if they’d exercised their options, and David Lee opted out of his deal only to announce his retirement a few months later.
The NBA’s salary cap continues to increase, but it’s no longer jumping at nearly the same rate it was in 2016, which means veterans holding player options for 2018 may be less inclined to explore the market — there simply aren’t as many teams willing to throw money around.
A look at the list of player options for 2018/19 reveals several options that will likely be picked up. For instance, Wesley Matthews ($18.6MM), Darrell Arthur ($7.5MM), Wesley Johnson ($6.1MM), Jason Smith ($5.5MM), and Ron Baker ($4.5MM) are unlikely to find offers on the open market that are more lucrative than their option salaries. Of course, there are also still plenty of options that will be quickly declined — the odds of Paul George exercising his $20.7MM player option are slim.
Somewhere in between those two extremes, there are several 2018/19 player option decisions that remain unclear. These players may be leaning one way or the other right now, but the decision isn’t so obvious that it should be considered a lock quite yet. Here are five of those player option decisions worth keeping an eye on this season:
Carmelo Anthony, Thunder ($27,928,140): The Thunder’s new-look roster has been dubbed a one-year experiment, but even if things go south in Oklahoma City this season, there’s little reason not to expect two of the team’s “Big Three” players back next year. Russell Westbrook is on a long-term extension, and Anthony’s $27.9MM option is probably too lucrative to pass up, considering he’s 33 years old and is seeing his production decline. If the season goes really poorly for the Thunder, maybe Anthony opts out just to get a change of scenery, but at this point, I’d count on him opting in.- Jeremy Lin, Nets ($12,516,746): After an injury-plagued 2016/17 season in which he appeared in just 36 contests, Lin had high hopes for the 2017/18 campaign. However, he didn’t even make it through a single game this year, rupturing his patellar tendon in the Nets’ opener. When Lin is healthy, he’s a dynamic point guard who could command a solid long-term deal. But he’ll be 30 next summer and will be coming off a major injury. It might make sense to just play it safe and opt in for one more year in Brooklyn.
- Wilson Chandler, Nuggets ($12,800,562): Chandler has been a Nugget since 2011, making him the team’s longest-tenured player, but it has been a bumpy ride at times. Although Chandler has averaged between 30.9 and 31.7 minutes per contest in every season since 2013/14, he hasn’t always been happy with his role over the years, with a report back in February suggesting he was hoping for a trade. Chandler has struggled this season, and his three-point efficiency has been on the decline, but if he can bounce back, he’d be an appealing free agent target for teams in need of a wing with some size or a small-ball power forward. He probably wouldn’t earn more than $12.8MM per year, but he should be able to exceed that figure in terms of total salary.
- Cory Joseph, Pacers ($7,945,000): Long regarded as one of the NBA’s top backup point guards, Joseph’s numbers in Toronto and now Indiana have been fairly modest. Still, it might make sense for him to pass up an $8MM salary in search of a larger payday and perhaps a chance to earn a slightly larger role. An improved outside shot figures to make Joseph more appealing to potential suitors — in his first five NBA seasons, he made just 29.4% of his three-point attempts, but he has increased that mark to 38.5% since the start of the 2016/17 season.
- Enes Kanter, Knicks ($18,622,514): Kanter’s option decision was considered so obvious that his probable opt-in was reported back in August, with his decision deadline still 10 months away. Has his strong play in New York changed that? Probably not. Despite averaging a double-double with 13.8 PPG and 10.6 RPG so far, Kanter remains an average defender at best, and big men who don’t either protect the rim or shoot three-pointers have limited upside in free agency. Although the future for Kanter looks brighter than it did a few months ago, it’s still hard to imagine him turning down an $18.6MM salary for next season.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
And-Ones: Porter Jr., T. Jones, Bad Contracts
With top 2018 prospect Michael Porter Jr. expected to miss the rest of the college season as he recovers from back surgery, ESPN’s Jonathan Givony explores what the injury might mean for Porter’s draft stock. As Givony notes, Porter has been one of the most heavily scouted college freshmen in recent memory, which works in his favor — NBA teams have already evaluated the young forward extensively and formed opinions on him.
Additionally, with Missouri suggesting that Porter is expected to make a full recovery, the 19-year-old could be ready to work out for NBA teams in the spring, which could go a long way toward assuaging any fears that clubs might have about his health.
Back issues will always be handled with caution, and if next year’s draft were held today, Porter may not be a top-five pick. But multiple NBA general managers believe he’ll still land in the top five if his back checks out in June, tweets Jeff Goodman of ESPN.
Here are a few more odds and ends from around the basketball world:
- Former Rockets, Pelicans, and Bucks big man Terrence Jones is leaving the Qingdao Eagles, his team in China, after getting kicked out of practice, tweets international basketball reporter David Pick. Jones signed a contract with the Eagles in July, but he’ll be on the lookout for another opportunity as the new year approaches.
- In an interesting piece for HoopsHype, Frank Urbina examines the most “untradable” contract for each NBA team. For some clubs, such as the Lakers (Luol Deng), Knicks (Joakim Noah), and Pelicans (Omer Asik), the choice is easy, but not every team has an obvious albatross on its books. For instance, Urbina’s pick for the Celtics is Al Horford‘s contract, based on its sheer size rather than on Horford’s performance, which has been excellent.
- Pat Forde and Pete Thamel of Yahoo! Sports take a deep dive into NBA agent Andy Miller, whose ASM Sports agency has been connected to the FBI’s investigation into college basketball, exploring whether the scandal will impact the NBA.
Northwest Notes: Lillard, Nurkic, Nuggets, Wolves
Damian Lillard has become the face of the Trail Blazers and one of the most dynamic point guards in the NBA. By the same token, the 27-year-old has taken on a mentorship role with Portland, specifically with young center Jusuf Nurkic. In a well-written piece by NBC Sports Northwest’s Jason Quick, Lillard’s relationship with Nurkic is highlighted in comparison to Lillard’s relationship with the departed LaMarcus Aldridge.
As a mentor for the 23-year-old Nurkic, Lillard said their relationship is “almost what I wish I had with LaMarcus.’’ Lillard and Aldridge were teammates in Portland during Dame’s first three NBA seasons. While the duo enjoyed some success, the team never managed a deep playoff run. In turn, Lillard wants to provide Nurkic with the help he never received while teammates with Aldridge.
“Me and LaMarcus had a good relationship. We never had a single argument. We really got along,’’ Lillard said. “I’m just saying the stuff I want to go out of my way to do for (Nurkic), is the stuff I wish I got from LaMarcus.’’
For his part, Nurkic said that Lillard is “the best thing that has happened to me in my life.’’ Thus far, Nurkic’s career in Portland has been strong as he’s averaging 14.3 PPG and 7.2 RPG through the Trail Blazers’ first 17 games. In Lillard’s view, Nurkic has a high ceiling and he wants to do his part to help him reach it.
“With Nurk, I know how good he is, how good he could be, I know what he means to the team, so I don’t want to let that opportunity slip,’’ Lillard said. “I don’t want him to feel any less important. I don’t want to be like (sucks teeth) ‘he good enough he will figure it out.’”
Check out other notes across the Northwest Division:
- After crowded frontcourt rotation has become a feature rather than a bug for the Nuggets, who will have to rely heavily on the likes of Kenneth Faried and Mason Plumlee to produce in Paul Millsap‘s absence, Gina Mizell of the Denver Post writes. As we noted earlier, Millsap may miss two or three months after undergoing surgery on his left wrist.
- In a lengthy feature, ESPN’s Nick Friedell writes that time has run out for the Timberwolves to wait for winning based on the team’s potential. With a 10-7 record, Minnesota occupies fifth place in the Western Conference. Head coach Tom Thibodeau said earlier this season that, “If you’re waiting on potential, you’re waiting on losing.” That edict will now follow the team until they prove they can win with a blend of budding superstars and established veterans.
Knicks Notes: Hardaway, Baker, Ntilikina, Anthony
Tim Hardaway Jr. was one of the offseason’s biggest surprise signings; not only because he received a four-year deal, but also because that his former team, the Knicks, signed him to a $71MM pact. Entering his fifth NBA season, Hardaway never posted more than 14.5 PPG in a single season and has never been the focal point of an offense. In a recent interview with Peter Walsh of SLAM Magazine, Hardaway admitted that the criticism of his deal has been a source of motivation.
“I have to use [criticism] as motivation,” Hardaway said. “I take it as those are your fans and they’re coming at you with that. It hurts. But at the same time, you can’t harp on that. You have to go out there and show that you deserve what the Knicks offered. At the end of the day, it’s not my fault. They came to me. I knew that if it was something big, I would have to deliver. I’ve been delivering since last season in Atlanta. I feel like I’m confident and capable of getting what I got money-wise and going out there and playing for the team and playing for the franchise and playing for the city.”
Hardaway, who is still just 25 years old, has played well in his first season back in New York. In 16 games, he has averaged a career-high 17.2 PPG and 4.4 RPG for the Knicks. The former first-round pick has played with some foot injuries this season but has otherwise been a solid secondary option behind Kristaps Porzingis. While criticism for his contract will persist, Hardaway is confident he can prove he is worth the investment.
Check out other news from the Knicks organization below:
- Speaking of Hardaway’s foot injury, he recently said he does not have plantar fasciitis in his foot, (via ESPN’s Ian Begley). Hardaway said he is experiencing “just intense soreness with ligaments and stuff.” The Knicks guard intends to nurse the injury and play until it is healed.
- Ron Baker, who has not played since the team’s third regular season game due to a shoulder injury, is nearing a return, Marc Berman of the New York Post writes. “Ron’s almost there with the shoulder,’’ head coach Jeff Hornacek said. “He practiced [Sunday]. I asked him how it was with contact, he said he tried to avoid real hard picks. He’s getting close to full contact.’’
- In the same article, Berman writes that the Knicks’ 2017 first-round pick, Frank Ntilikina, removed himself from the Knicks’ win over the Clippers on Monday in the fourth quarter due to flu-like symptoms.
- Enes Kanter and Doug McDermott, who were acquired in the Carmelo Anthony trade, and free agent signing Jarrett Jack have led the Knicks to a strong early start, Ian Begley of ESPN writes. Giving a similar take, Berman of The New York Post echoed the sentiment, writing that the Knicks’ return for their former superstar has paid dividends early on.
- Once more, Berman of The New York Post examines the impact general manager Scott Perry has had on the Knicks and their early success this season. In an interesting tidbit, Berman cites sources who say Anthony would have accepted a trade to Portland if talks with the Rockets, Cavaliers, and Thunder fizzled.
Central Notes: Cavs, Zipser, Maker
The injuries are piling up for the Cavaliers, with Iman Shumpert, Tristan Thompson, and Derrick Rose all currently sidelined. The team is also waiting on Isaiah Thomas, who is recovering from offseason surgery, to make his debut.
LeBron James, who enters Tuesday’s slate of games as the league’s leader in minutes played, believes the franchise has the depth to overcome the injury woes.
“It’s good to know that we have depth,” James said (via Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com). “It’s very difficult and it’s very challenging not only on the guys that’s on the court but on the coaching staff, trying to figure out. Sometimes you get a rhythm and then another guy goes down, so, that’s what we’re here for. We have the depth to be able to try to bandage it up until we can all become full.”
Here’s more from the Central Division:
- Coach Fred Hoiberg said Paul Zipser, who only saw one minute of action over the Bulls‘ last two games, is “staying positive,” Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times relays. Zipser is under contract through the 2018/19 season, though his salary next season is non-guaranteed.
- Kevin Garnett recently visited the Bucks to work with some of their young talents and came away with a spectacular impression of Thon Maker, as he tells Jonathan Abrams of Bleacher Report. “Thon Maker reminds me a lot of myself. He loves the game. He’s a young, exuberant athlete who has a lot of tools,” KG said. “Thon is going to be the MVP of the league one day. Mark it down. He has the bones. He has the appetite to be able to chase something like that.”
Suns Notes: Bledsoe, McDonough, Centers
Eric Bledsoe will return to Phoenix on Wednesday for the first time since the team traded him to the Bucks, but the point guard is downplaying the events, calling it “just another game.”
“It’s just another game,” Bledsoe said (via ESPN’s Nick Friedell). “Another game we just got to win. We got to win this game, get above .500, build off that.”
Bledsoe wouldn’t comment on the “hair salon” incident or on Suns‘ management when asked if he wished either party had handled things differently leading up to his departure.
“I’m at this point now,” Bledsoe said. “I’m on another team focused on what we can build here. So I ain’t focused on that.”
Here’s more from Phoenix:
- The Suns waited too long to trade Bledsoe, RealGM’s Danny Leroux contends, suggesting that the team should have dealt him before last season’s trade deadline. The scribe argues that the number of teams in playoff contention at the time, combined with Bledsoe’s age and reasonable contract, made February 2017 the right time to move him.
- Greg Moore of the Arizona Republic believes that GM Ryan McDonough can turn things around for the franchise, though it will take some time. The Suns are expected to be one of only a few teams with substantial cap room this summer and while Moore is hopeful that someone like LeBron James or DeMarcus Cousins decides to come to the team, he envisions Phoenix landing a player in the tier below them. He names DeAndre Jordan, Aaron Gordon, and Marcus Smart as possibilities.
- Tyson Chandler is expected to be back in the lineup on Wednesday after missing the last three games with an illness, Moore writes in a separate piece. Coach Jay Triano said he isn’t sure how he’ll handle the center rotation, with Greg Monroe, Alex Len and Chandler all vying for minutes. “I haven’t even thought about it,” Triano said. “I’ve got a couple of days to figure out the rotations.”
- The Northern Arizona Suns, the team’s G League affiliate, have added Earl Barron and Nick Friedman as assistant coaches, Chris Reichert of The Step Back reports (Twitter link). The club has also promoted Tyler Gatlin to associate head coach.
Paul Millsap To Undergo Wrist Surgery, Miss 2-3 Months
Paul Millsap will undergo surgery on his left wrist and he’ll be sidelined indefinitely as he recovers, Sham Charania of The Vertical reports (Twitter link). The power forward injured his wrist on Sunday against the Lakers.
Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link) hears that the surgery is to repair a torn ligament in the wrist and the power forward could be sidelined for the next three months.
Millsap signed a three-year, $90MM deal with the Nuggets this past offseason and he got off to slow start with the club, as I detailed in a recent edition of Fantasy Hoops. However, he was starting to look more comfortable in his new offense prior to leaving the game on Sunday.
Denver has morphed into a respectable team on the defensive end this season and Millsap’s presence is a major reason why. The Nuggets currently rank 17th in the league in defensive rating, a season after finishing with the second-worst mark in the league (Lakers).
Kenneth Faried got the start at power forward against the Kings on Monday, but it’s unclear if he’ll remain as involved after a poor showing. Faried was relegated to the bench after just 19 minutes of action where he made just one of seven shots.
NBA G League Assignments/Recalls: 11/21/17
Here are Tuesday’s G League assignments and recalls from around the NBA:
3:57pm:
- The Cavaliers have recalled rookie center Ante Zizic from the G League, the team announced today in a press release. Zizic made his debut for the Canton Charge on Monday, racking up 14 points and 16 rebounds.
- The Rockets have sent rookie Zhou Qi to the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, tweets Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle. Feigen expects Zhou to return to the NBA after the Vipers’ Tuesday night contest vs. the Memphis Hustle.
3:01pm:
- The Sixers have assigned rookie guard Furkan Korkmaz to their G League affiliate, the club announced today in a press release. Korkmaz, who has averaged 15.0 PPG in three games with the Delaware 87ers so far this season, figures to suit up for the club on Tuesday night against the Wisconsin Herd.
- The Pacers have recalled 2017 second-round pick Ike Anigbogu from the G League, according to a press release from the club. The rookie center started two games during his assignment, averaging 12.0 PPG and 7.5 RPG for the Fort Wayne Mad Ants in those games.
- After sending him to the G League on Monday, the Raptors have recalled rookie forward Alfonzo McKinnie, the team announced today (via Twitter). McKinnie recorded 17 points and six boards for the Raptors 905 last night.
- The Pistons have assigned second-year big man Henry Ellenson to the G League, the team announced today in a press release. Ellenson, who has appeared in just six NBA contests this season, figures to play major minutes for the Grand Rapids Drive in Tuesday’s game against the Oklahoma City Blue.
- Rookies Khem Birch and Wesley Iwundu continue to yo-yo-back and forth between the NBA and the G League, having been assigned to Lakeland again today by the Magic (Twitter link).
Mirza Teletovic Expected To Miss Four Weeks
Veteran forward Mirza Teletovic has undergone successful arthroscopic surgery on his left knee, the Bucks announced today in a press release. The procedure, which repaired cartilage in Teletovic’s troublesome knee, is expected to sideline him for the next four weeks.
Teletovic has been out due to knee soreness for two weeks already, having last appeared in a game for the Bucks on November 7 in Cleveland. If the 32-year-old is able to get back on the court four weeks from today, he’d be in line for another game with the Cavaliers on December 19. However, there’s no guarantee he’ll be ready to go at that time.
Even before his injury, Teletovic wasn’t playing a major rotation role this season in Milwaukee. In 10 games, he had averaged just 15.9 minutes per contest, the lowest mark since his rookie season in 2012/13. Still, while his averages of 7.1 PPG and 2.3 RPG are modest, Teletovic has been reliable from beyond the arc, with most of his field goal attempts coming from three-point range. He has converted 2.1 threes per game at a 46.7% clip.
With Teletovic injured and Greg Monroe no longer in Milwaukee, the Bucks have relied on smaller lineups and leaned on Thon Maker and John Henson for increased frontcourt roles. Barring a roster move, those trends figure to continue as Teletovic recovers from his knee procedure, though Henson will miss Milwaukee’s next game after undergoing an eye procedure, according to the team.
Top Prospect Michael Porter Jr. Likely Out For Season
Missouri forward Michael Porter Jr. is set to undergo back surgery on Tuesday and will likely miss the remainder of the college season, the program announced today (via Twitter). According to the announcement from the school, the procedure – a microdiscectomy of the L3-L4 spinal discs – has a projected recovery time of three or four months.
Porter suffered the injury just two minutes into Mizzou’s season opener on November 10, and the team had been tight-lipped about the nature and severity of the ailment since then, simply calling it a leg injury. ESPN’s Jeff Goodman had reported on Monday (via Twitter) that Porter was meeting with a specialist, so the decision to undergo surgery may have been finalized at that point.
Porter, a freshman, is considered one of the top prospects for the 2018 NBA draft, with Jonathan Givony of ESPN recently ranking him second in the class, behind only Luka Doncic. While the school says (via Twitter) the 6’10” forward is expected to make a full recovery, back problems have a tendency to pop up again down the road — NBA teams will certainly be keeping a close eye on Porter’s rehabilitation process.
It remains to be seen how the injury will impact the freshman’s draft stock, with Doncic, Marvin Bagley III, and DeAndre Ayton among the other players who had been battling Porter for the No. 1 spot. For now though, the focus is on the youngster’s well-being, as Mizzou coach Cuonzo Martin said in a statement.
“Our top priority as a program is the well-being of our student-athletes, so Michael beginning this process to be 100% healthy is important to all of us,” Martin said. “Our focus has been on Michael’s well-being, just like every other player in our locker room.”