Decisions on rookie scale options for the 2026/27 season were due on Friday — any team that wanted to exercise a third- or fourth-year option on a player for next season was required to do so by October 31.
As is typically the case, a huge majority of those options were picked up. Even for top picks, who are paid higher salaries due to the NBA’s rookie scale, those third- and fourth-year options are relatively team-friendly. So unless a player has fallen well short of his team’s expectations, it generally makes sense to lock in his salary for the following season at this point.
However, not every player with a 2026/27 team option had it exercised by Friday’s deadline. A player who had his option declined will now be on track to reach unrestricted free agency during the summer of 2026, assuming he’s not waived before then. At the end of the season, his team won’t be able to offer him a starting salary that exceeds the value of his declined option.
Listed below are the players who had their options turned down, followed by the players whose options were exercised. If a player had his option picked up, his ’26/27 salary is now guaranteed and he won’t be eligible for free agency until at least 2027.
Declined options:
- Jett Howard, Magic (fourth year, $7,337,938)
Kobe Bufkin, Nets (fourth year, $6,904,203)
- Note: Bufkin’s fourth-year option was declined when he was waived by Brooklyn.
- Dariq Whitehead, Nets (fourth year, $5,366,911)
- Note: Whitehead’s fourth-year option was declined when he was cut by Brooklyn.
- Olivier-Maxence Prosper, Mavericks (fourth year, $5,259,383)
- Note: Prosper’s fourth-year option was declined when he was waived by Dallas, which used the stretch provision to spread his $3MM cap hit over three seasons.
- Nick Smith Jr., Hornets (fourth year, $4,890,067)
- Note: Smith’s fourth-year option was declined when he was released by Charlotte.
- Kobe Brown, Clippers (fourth year, $4,792,058)
- Dillon Jones, Wizards (third year, $2,884,440)
- Note: Jones’ third-year option was declined when he was cut by Washington.
Jones was the only 2024 first-round pick (he was selected 26th overall) who did not have his third-year option picked up. In addition to the six 2023 first-rounders listed above, Jalen Hood-Schifino also had his third- and fourth-year options declined by the Lakers last year. He was subsequently traded to — and released by — the Jazz, and is now on a two-way contract with Philadelphia.
Howard (No. 11 overall in 2023) was the lone former lottery pick whose option was turned down this fall. The 22-year-old wing has yet to carve out a rotation role with Orlando, the team that selected him, and the Magic project to be a tax apron team next season even without Howard’s $7,337,938 salary on their books.
Aside from Howard, Brown is the only other player who remains with the team that declined his option. Similar to Howard, the 25-year-old forward has rarely played for the Clippers over the past two-plus seasons.
None of the declined options were too surprising this year, as the seven players have not been significant NBA contributors to this point in their careers.
The Nets’ decisions to waive Bufkin and Whitehead were motivated by a roster crunch and a desire to stay above the minimum salary floor entering the season — not reaching the floor would have caused Brooklyn to lose its luxury tax distribution, which is projected to be around $12.8MM.
The Mavs, Hornets and Wizards were all facing roster crunches as well. While Charlotte and Washington had plenty of financial wiggle room to eat guaranteed salaries, Dallas needed to use the stretch provision on Prosper to create enough room below its second-apron cap to finalize a veteran’s minimum deal with Dante Exum, who has yet to play this season due to a knee injury.
Prosper and Smith are now on two-way deals with the Grizzlies and Lakers, respectively, after having their fourth-year options declined. Bufkin, Whitehead and Jones are all unrestricted free agents.
Exercised options:
Fourth year:
Note: These players will become eligible for rookie scale extensions in July of 2026. If they’re not extended, they’ll be on track for restricted free agency in 2027.
- Victor Wembanyama, Spurs ($16,868,246)
Brandon Miller, Hornets ($15,104,626)- Scoot Henderson, Trail Blazers ($13,585,523)
- Amen Thompson, Rockets ($12,258,609)
- Ausar Thompson, Pistons ($11,117,925)
- Anthony Black, Magic ($10,106,315)
- Bilal Coulibaly, Wizards ($9,240,012)
- Jarace Walker, Pacers ($8,478,541)
- Taylor Hendricks, Jazz ($7,805,900)
- Cason Wallace, Thunder ($7,420,806)
- Dereck Lively II, Mavericks ($7,239,130)
- Gradey Dick, Raptors ($7,131,510)
- Jordan Hawkins, Pelicans ($7,021,895)
- Keyonte George, Jazz ($6,563,925)
- Jaime Jaquez Jr., Heat ($5,939,141)
- Brandin Podziemski, Warriors ($5,679,458)
- Cam Whitmore, Wizards ($5,458,310)
- Noah Clowney, Nets ($5,414,034)
- Kris Murray, Trail Blazers ($5,315,004)
- Marcus Sasser, Pistons ($5,198,983)
- Ben Sheppard, Pacers ($5,031,668)
- Brice Sensabaugh, Jazz ($4,862,237)
- Julian Strawther, Nuggets ($4,826,931)
These 23 players who had their fourth-year options exercised, along with the seven listed in the section above who had their fourth-year options declined, were drafted in the first round in 2023.
Third year:
Note: Teams will have to make fourth-year option decisions for 2026/27 on these players by November 2, 2026.
- Zaccharie Risacher, Hawks ($13,826,040)
Alex Sarr, Wizards ($12,370,680)- Reed Sheppard, Rockets ($11,108,880)
- Stephon Castle, Spurs ($10,015,920)
- Ron Holland, Pistons ($9,069,600)
- Tidjane Salaun, Hornets ($8,237,880)
- Donovan Clingan, Trail Blazers ($7,519,920)
- Rob Dillingham, Timberwolves ($6,889,320)
- Zach Edey, Grizzlies ($6,332,760)
- Cody Williams, Jazz ($6,015,600)
- Matas Buzelis, Bulls ($5,715,360)
- Nikola Topic, Thunder ($5,429,760)
- Devin Carter, Kings ($5,158,080)
- Bub Carrington, Wizards ($4,900,560)
- Kel’el Ware, Heat ($4,654,920)
- Jared McCain, Sixers ($4,422,600)
- Dalton Knecht, Lakers ($4,201,080)
- Tristan Da Silva, Magic ($3,991,200)
- Ja’Kobe Walter, Raptors ($3,811,800)
- Jaylon Tyson, Cavaliers ($3,658,560)
- Yves Missi, Pelicans ($3,512,760)
- DaRon Holmes, Nuggets ($3,372,120)
- AJ Johnson, Wizards ($3,237,120)
- Kyshawn George, Wizards ($3,108,000)
- Pacome Dadiet, Knicks ($2,983,680)
- Terrence Shannon Jr., Timberwolves ($2,801,640)
- Ryan Dunn, Suns ($2,784,240)
- Isaiah Collier, Jazz ($2,763,960)
- Baylor Scheierman, Celtics ($2,744,040)
As usual, nearly every player from the 2024 draft class had his third-year option picked up, with 29 of 30 exercised. As noted above, Jones is the only player from 2024’s first round who is now a free agent.
For a team-by-team breakdown of this year’s rookie scale option decisions for the 2026/27 season, along with full stories on each decision, you can check out our tracker.
Howard doesn’t even seem to play.