Leading up to last month’s June 29 deadline, nine of the veterans who held player options for the 2023/24 season decided to turn down those options, forgoing guaranteed money in favor of the open market.
For the vast majority of those nine players, opting out was the right call.
[RELATED: 2023 NBA Free Agent Tracker]
Fred VanVleet, Draymond Green, Khris Middleton, and Kyle Kuzma landed some of the biggest free agent contracts of 2023. While Green and Middleton technically would’ve earned higher salaries in 2023/24 if they’d opted in, they both locked in multiyear contracts that extend well beyond next season, securing overall guarantees worth $100MM and $95MM, respectively.
Donte DiVincenzo and Jevon Carter got big raises for next season and gained long-term security by opting out. DiVincenzo landed a four-year, $47MM deal after declining a $4.7MM option, while Carter passed on a minimum-salary option in favor of a three-year, $19.5MM contract.
Bruce Brown will earn $22MM in 2023/24 instead of the $6.8MM he would have earned if he had picked up his player option with Denver. Although Brown didn’t receive guaranteed money beyond ’23/24, that’s still a huge win for a player whose career earnings prior to this offseason totaled about $15MM.
Even Montrezl Harrell, who signed a new minimum-salary contract with the Sixers earlier this month, is coming out ahead, since he’ll make more on his new deal ($2,891,467) than he would have if he had exercised his option ($2,760,026).
That leaves just one unsigned player out of the nine who declined player options in June: Derrick Jones Jr.
Jones’ decision was a bit of a surprise, since he said in an April interview that he intended to pick up his $3.36MM player option in order to return to the Bulls. Two months later, word broke that the veteran wing had actually decided to turn it down and would be entering free agency.
Jones has been the subject of a few rumors this month, including being linked to the Mavericks a couple weeks ago. But the fact that he doesn’t yet have a deal in place doesn’t bode especially well for his chances of earning a raise. At this point in the summer, not many players are signing for more than the veteran’s minimum, though Dallas does have the ability to offer a higher starting salary.
Perhaps Jones, who played for the Heat for two-and-a-half seasons from 2017-20, might be interested in taking the Josh Richardson route and returning to his old team in Miami on a minimum-salary deal. But the Heat are in a holding pattern with free agents until they determine one way or another whether they’ll be making a deal for Damian Lillard this offseason.
There’s still a possibility that Jones could sign for more than the $3.36MM he would’ve earned if he had opted in with the Bulls. And even if he has to settle for a minimum-salary contract, it wouldn’t be the end of the world — that sort of deal would pay him $2.7MM, which isn’t far off from the $3.2MM he earned this past season. But that outcome would make him the only one of the nine players who declined options to end up with less guaranteed money than what his option called for.
A 6’5″ forward? Keep him away from GSW!
What is wrong with a 6’5″ forward? Oh that’s right. You think the Warriors have to sign a 7 foot center that most teams won’t let off the bench.
He’s not a warriors fan, don’t bother responding to him.
He’s not good. No idea what he was thinking turning down the option. He may never play in the league again.
Ah, that would be why I’d thought he was still on the Bulls. Makes sense.
Also, kind of a weird decision from DJJ. Yeah, he’s a decent perimeter defender, but not exceptional, and his offensive game is limited. I wouldn’t be surprised if he only gets a minimum. Frankly, I’d be surprised if he got more than the minimum.
Yeah, he’s really just a high energy, decent defensive and rebounding forward, and one that lacks any kind of offensive game.
He can hit the occasional open look and shot 34% from 3 last season, but the majority of his offense is going to come from him hitting the boards and occasionally getting some looks slashing to the rim.
He certainly isn’t a bad option as one of your last forwards off the bench and as a traveled veteran, but I’d, personally, rather save that spot for a younger player with more upside that I could develop and grow…
Nuggets, Mavs, maybe the Spurs if they look to get more vets in there
Would rather have DJJ than Harrell since the Sixers already have Bamba and Reed.
He is fragile and inconsistent,good enough for dunk champ,but not for regular season
Imagine he doesnt even find a team where he can sign for a minimum salary …
Jones is the hard punch guy teams are looking for and will sign somewhere above his salary last years. The Bulls to be exact. He has not moved yet, nor has his name come up in the right way when it comes to other teams.
If he signs somewhere below it’s a legit championship team. I am not seeing any room for him on any of them.
He would be an ideal player for either Orlando or Charlotte.