Veteran guard Cole Anthony has remained in limbo since being acquired by the Suns at this month’s trade deadline, having continued to hold a spot on Phoenix’s 15-man roster despite being away from the team. Reporting prior to the All-Star break indicated Anthony would likely be waived, but that still hasn’t happened. According to Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic, head coach Jordan Ott suggested on Thursday that the delay may be related to depth concerns in the Suns’ backcourt.
“It’s still the same,” Ott said of Anthony’s situation. “There hasn’t been much change, but we have had injuries and that’s kind of where it’s at. That’s why there hasn’t been much change, but that’s why it’s not completely out. We’ll continue to just stay in touch with his people and move this thing forward.”
Friday is the first of four days off for the Suns, and Devin Booker (hip strain) appears likely to return after that break, either on Tuesday in Sacramento or Thursday vs. Chicago, tweets John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7. If Phoenix is confident in where Booker’s at in his recovery, it’s possible we could see Anthony let go on or before Sunday, which is the final day a player can be waived and retain his playoff eligibility for a new team.
[UPDATE: Anthony has been waived.]
If Anthony is cut, it would open up a spot for the Suns to promote two-way player Jamaree Bouyea to the standard roster. The club could then back-fill Bouyea’s two-way slot before next Wednesday’s deadline for two-way signings.
Here are a few more rumors related to the NBA’s buyout market:
- In addition to Denver, the Spurs are among the teams with interest in Mavericks forward Khris Middleton, according to Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints. Dallas has reportedly given Middleton the option of negotiating a buyout or sticking with the Mavs for the rest of the season — he figures to make that decision within the next 48 hours or so.
- Although the Warriors, Nuggets, and other teams has some interest in Lonzo Ball after he was waived earlier this month, concerns about the guard’s knee dissuaded those potential suitors from moving forward on a deal with the veteran point guard, Siegel reports, adding that nothing is imminent on that front.
- Although D’Angelo Russell wasn’t required to report to the Wizards after being included in the Anthony Davis trade and has been viewed as a potential buyout candidate, there has been little interest around the league in the point guard, per Siegel. Russell’s contract includes a $5.97MM player option for 2026/27 that Washington would probably want to eliminate – or at least significantly reduce – as part of any buyout agreement, whereas D-Lo presumably wouldn’t want to give up that guaranteed money without a favorable deal lined up elsewhere. According to Siegel, Russell could end up simply finishing the season with the Wizards.
- Many league personnel believe Chris Boucher would like to reunite with the Raptors after being waived by Utah earlier this month, but it’s unclear whether Toronto reciprocates that interest, says Siegel.
increasingly looking like lonzo is done, what a bummer
Lakers coulda had Tatum…
You mean the Pelicans could had Tatum?
I’d like Boucher off the bench. Get it done.
Time for Ball to head to a league with a more forgiving schedule, his body’s not going to hold up in the NBA. It’s a shame cos he’s a talented player.
A question about Russell’s contract.
“Russell’s contract includes a $5.97MM player option for 2026/27 that Washington would probably want to eliminate – or at least significantly reduce – as part of any buyout agreement.”
I didn’t realize that this was negotiable. I know that if a contract is signed with a PO, a paragraph is included that controls what happens if a player is waived. Either the option is considered exercised and the player is paid, or not exercised and the team owes nothing. But apparently, this can be changed before the player is waived?
I believe it’s possible for the player option to be exercised and Russell to agree to a buyout that would then be spread across both years of the deal. If I recall correctly, this is what happened when the Pistons bought out Blake Griffin in 2021.
Actually, the smart move for them would be to agree to the buyout and have his next year’s salary added to this year. That way they have a clean sheet next year without any dead weight or dead money. Because they’ll be most likely in the luxury tax, not in the second or first apron, but in the luxury tax. And that salary helps. You don’t want to be paying dollars on dollars of a player that’s not playing
…That doesn’t actually work. Teams dont get to consolidate cap hits lol.
Teams wouldn’t use the stretch provision if they could frontload their dead money. Some of y’all just be saying anything on here.
Actually you don’t know how NBA contracts work. And yes I have friends who played in the league and got cut.
What you were describing is if a player is cut. If there is a buyout, you are agreeing to a certain figure that you’re going to pay that player. Since he has a player option, no player is going to allow you to buy them out and say I’m not going to take the money that you have an option to pick up.
Second, what you’re talking about is waving a player. If a player is waived then there’s a total amount for each year that that player is waived so you can’t control the narratives of the contract.
Last but not least since you actually don’t know what you’re talking about and you’re running your mouth saying people just say anything. The stress provision is used so that teams don’t have that much salary on one year’s cap sheet. I.e the only reason why you would use it is if you’re in the luxury tax. You’re stretching the salary so instead of paying somebody 30 million. With a luxury tax hit, especially if you’re a repeat luxury tax team, it could be upwards of another 18 to 28 million tagged on top of that 30 million for that year. So you would stretch it so you’re only paying $6 million a year and your luxury tax would only be $2 to 3 million so you’re only paying a total of 8.
You’re one of these guys on this site that try to sound smarter than what you think and try to think you’re telling somebody when you really have no idea what you’re talking about
As I understand Article XII, Section 2, (a), under ‘Player Options’, if a player is waived, the option has already been decided when the contract was signed, and the contract includes one of the two paragraphs, (A) or (B), either in the player’s favor or the team’s.
The (A) language would apply to Russell (ie. the option would be treated as if it had been exercised), but that wouldn’t prevent them from buying out part of it.
You are 100% correct. Thank you!
Yes, you are correct. If a player is waived of course the player’s going to pick up the option. No player would say hey I’m just going to give away free money. The problem is this is a buyout situation and in a buyout you are negotiating with the person that you’re buying out. So basically you’re saying instead of you staying on this team we’ll let you go. However, if you’re going to make 10 million next year, And you’re getting 10 million this year. Let’s just pay you $17 million. It usually is a little bit more and depending upon what the other player can get on the open market. Once you sign, what a team. Whatever you sign for gets deducted from the amount the other team owes you for the first year. So if you sign for a team for 3 million and that’s your minimum salary, usually teams will buy you out for 17 since you’re going to get picked up for 3 million anyway and you’re going to make that money back. Overall, the other team is only responsible for 14 million to you.
“If a player is waived of course the player’s going to pick up the option.”
That’s not how it works, a player doesn’t decide to pick up the option when he’s waived. What happens to a PO if he’s waived is written in when the contract is signed. Apparently, though, in a buyout it could be cut back.
That’s pretty much saying the players picking up the option. You didn’t say anything special. You just repeated exactly what I said. If you’re negotiating that in your contract then the options already picked up. It’s the same thing saying no player is not going to pick the option up and get cut and not get paid for the second year they could have had whether they got cut or stayed on the team. The contracts are guaranteed unless the second year is non-guaranteed and they get cut and they only have to pay the guaranteed portion of the contract.
What you were saying was confusing: “adding next year’s salary to this season”.
What you basically meant was that he wouldnt give up any salary this year but reduce the player option with what he would earn until end of next season with a new team.
But off course total salary for this season wouldnt increase, which is what Real2K might have implied from what you said.
If it’s a buy out you can add the next year salary to the cap. If you are cutting (waving) a player you can not. Waving means there is no negotiation the player is being cut. Buy out you are negotiating and can structure your contract how you like.