Draft Notes: Dybantsa, Boozer, Pacers, Wilson, Guards, More
BYU’s NCAA tournament run ended early, with the West’s No. 6 seed knocked off by No. 11 Texas on Thursday. However, forward AJ Dybantsa did little to hurt his draft stock in the process, putting up 35 of his team’s 71 points in the losing effort.
According to Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link), Dybantsa may have entered this week as the frontrunner to be the No. 1 overall pick in June due to some concerns related to Kansas guard Darryn Peterson‘s health over the course of his freshman year with the Jayhawks and skepticism about whether Cameron Boozer‘s “athletic profile” will limit his ceiling at the NBA level.
Fischer clarifies that no one expects any sort of draft-night fall for Peterson or Boozer, who have widely been considered top-three prospects alongside Dybantsa for months. In fact, he says some rival teams believe Boozer would be the Pacers‘ top choice if they got the No. 1 pick due to his potential fit with their current personnel.
However, Fischer also suggests that there’s been momentum toward UNC’s Caleb Wilson joining that top tier of prospects, despite the fact that hand and thumb injuries prematurely ended the forward’s season. Wilson has drawn comparisons to players like Chris Bosh and Evan Mobley, and there’s no sense that his thumb surgery will impact his standing as a top-five lock, Fischer adds.
“I don’t think anyone is taking Wilson No. 1 overall,” one NBA general manager said. “But I think every team is going to have him above one of those other three guys.”
Here’s more from Fischer on the 2026 NBA draft:
- One Eastern Conference scout recently predicted that there might be “an entire lottery of freshmen” this June, according to Fischer, who adds that the draft class is considered especially heavy on backcourt talent. Some scouts view it as the strongest group of guards since 2018, when Luka Doncic, Trae Young, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander entered the league, while one executive compared it to a 2008 class that was headlined by Derrick Rose and Russell Westbrook, Fischer writes.
- Illustrating the depth of the 2026 draft, Fischer notes that one veteran scout suggested that whichever team lands the No. 1 overall pick should seriously consider the idea of trading down to maximize the value of that selection. “There’s just too much opportunity to still get an All-Star caliber player and another future asset,” the scout said. According to Fischer, multiple executives have also expressed that there could be lottery-caliber prospects available in the 20s and a number of NBA-ready players available in the second round. “This might be a draft where more guys are getting guaranteed (NBA contracts) in the second round,” a Western Conference scout speculated.
- While the lottery will consist mostly of college freshmen, there are several “plug-and-play” upperclassmen who will appeal to teams later in the first round. Fischer identifies Iowa State forward Joshua Jefferson, Florida forward Thomas Haugh, Michigan center Aday Mara, Iowa guard Bennett Stirtz, and Texas wing Dailyn Swain as juniors and seniors frequently mentioned as intriguing targets in that range.
- Fischer also singles out Vanderbilt guard Tyler Tanner, Purdue guard Braden Smith, and Santa Clara forward Allen Graves as players who are “generating intrigue” among NBA evaluators, observing that Tanner and Graves in particular are analytics darlings.
And-Ones: M. Brown, AP All-Americans, Senior Prospects, More
Louisville guard Mikel Brown Jr.., widely considered a top-10 prospect in the 2026 NBA draft class, won’t be suiting up for the Cardinals this week as the NCAA tournament tips off.
The University of Louisville announced on Wednesday that Brown continues to deal with the back issues that have plagued him for much of the season and won’t play in Thursday’s game vs. South Florida (Twitter link via Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports). He also won’t be ready to return for the round of 32 game this weekend if the Cardinals advance.
Brown averaged 18.2 points, 4.7 assists, and 3.3 rebounds in 29.2 minutes per game as a freshman in 2025/26, but he was limited to 21 outings and hasn’t played since February 28. Even if Louisville advances to the Sweet 16 and Brown is able to return next week, NBA teams figure to be keeping a close eye on his medical testing results at the draft combine this spring.
Here are a few other odds and ends from around the basketball world:
- The Associated Press’ NCAA All-American first team for the 2025/26 season is heavy on freshmen, writes Dave Skretta of The Associated Press. Duke’s Cameron Boozer was unanimously voted to the first team, while BYU’s AJ Dybantsa and Arkansas’ Darius Acuff Jr. also made the cut alongside Texas Tech junior JT Toppin and Michigan senior Yaxel Lendeborg. Among other top freshman prospects, UNC’s Caleb Wilson and Illinois’ Keaton Wagler were named second team All-Americans, while Houston’s Kingston Flemings made the third team and Kansas’ Darryn Peterson earned an honorable mention.
- The influx of NIL money in college basketball has made senior prospects more appealing than they used to be, according to John Hollinger of The Athletic, who observes that most NBA-level prospects didn’t used to spend four (or more) years playing NCAA basketball but now may be incentivized to do so based on the money they can earn in college. With that in mind, Hollinger singles out 12 senior prospects worth watching in this year’s NCAA tournament, including UConn forward Alex Karaban, Purdue guard Braden Smith, and Iowa guard Bennett Stirtz.
- Several of ESPN’s NBA insiders preview the storylines to watch ahead of the playoffs, taking a look at the most crucial questions playing the top contenders in each conference and assessing which lower-seeded playoff team might be the most intriguing postseason sleeper — Zach Kram thinks the Heat fit that bill, noting that they’ve played some of their best basketball lately and are only three years removed from making the NBA Finals as a No. 8 seed.
And-Ones: Fournier, Mamukelashvili, Queta, NCAA Tourney
Veteran wing NBA Evan Fournier, who currently plays for Olympiacos in Greece after spending 12 seasons in the NBA from 2012-24, said in an interview with L’Equipe that he expects to retire as a player at the end of his current contract, which expires in 2028 (hat tip to Johnny Askounis of Eurohoops).
Fournier, 33, also indicated that he’d be interested in representing France again at the 2027 World Cup and/or 2028 Olympics if the national team wants him on its roster.
Here are more odds and ends from around the basketball world:
- Raptors forward/center Sandro Mamukelashvili remains focused on competing in the NBA for the foreseeable future, but he told Ric Bucher of Full Court Passport (YouTube link) that he likes the idea of eventually finishing his career and spending his retirement years in Europe. Specifically, Mamukelashvili is intrigued by the possibility of competing in the NBA’s European league. “The talent will be there, and I think it’s going to compete with college and even the NBA,” the Georgian big man said of NBA Europe, per Eurohoops. “I’m looking forward to seeing how it develops, and hopefully, down the line, I will have my chance to play over there.”
- Celtics center Neemias Queta, Heat forward Pelle Larsson, and Cavaliers swingman Jaylon Tyson are among the role players highlighted by John Hollinger of The Athletic within a story on the unheralded contributors enjoying breakout seasons.
- Mamukelashvili and Queta are two of several minimum-salary players who should be in line for significant raises on their next contracts, according to Yossi Gozlan of The Third Apron (Substack link). Gozlan, who also examines players like Suns guards Collin Gillespie and Jordan Goodwin, suggests Mamukelashvili could earn a starting salary of $8-10MM on his next deal and speculates that Queta’s floor will be the non-taxpayer mid-level exception ($15MM+).
- Sam Vecenie of The Athletic identifies nine players he’s excited to watch in the NCAA Tournament, including top-five prospects like Duke’s Cameron Boozer and BYU’s AJ Dybantsa, as well as a few projected to be drafted later in the first round, such as UConn’s Braylon Mullins, Houston’s Chris Cenac Jr. and Alabama’s Amari Allen.
Draft Notes: Flemings, Peterson, Dybantsa, Boozer, More
All 30 NBA teams had representatives present at this week’s Big 12 tournament, which featured 10 prospects projected to go in the first round of ESPN’s latest mock draft, write Brian Windhorst and Tim Bontemps of ESPN. While much of the focus of this year’s class has been at the very top, executives laud the depth of talent that could be available.
“We’re so interested in this draft because it’s so deep. There’s a lot of impact players,” an Eastern Conference scout said.
“And [the 2027] draft isn’t looking so good. You never know, there are players in every draft, but this year is like a double draft,” added a West scout.
Saturday’s final between Houston (Kingston Flemings, Chris Cenac Jr.) and Arizona (Brayden Burries, Koa Peat, Motiejus Krivas) will showcase five projected first-round picks. Multiple sources who spoke to Windhorst and Bontemps compared Flemings, who goes No. 5 overall in ESPN’s mock, to former MVP Derrick Rose.
“Derrick had the ability to turn the corner and get a clean layup,” another East scout said. “You don’t see that often and Kingston has that.”
Here’s more on the 2026 NBA draft class:
- According to Windhorst and Bontemps, Kansas guard Darryn Peterson and BYU forward AJ Dybantsa have separated themselves from the pack as the clear frontrunners to be selected No. 1 overall. “Talent-wise, he’s clearly [No. 1],” one East scout said of Peterson. “He’s got the full package. When he’s played, he’s shown that he has the ‘it’ factor.” Another front office member favored Dybantsa. “I think Dybantsa is the easy No. 1,” an East executive said. “He’s special. There’s just so much for him to still grow into.”
- Duke forward/center Cameron Boozer and UNC big man Caleb Wilson are believed to be in their own tier at three and four, in some order. That isn’t set in stone though, as some people around the league still think Boozer should be in the conversation for the top pick. “I think there’s a top three, and a case for any of them,” a second East executive told ESPN. “Boozer has always been the best player at every level, and that can help overcome some of his athletic questions. … I would just say to trust the ultra high-level-feel guys to figure it out.”
- Scouts and executives also weighed in on Wilson, Illinois guard Keaton Wagler, Arkansas guard Darius Acuff Jr., and Louisville guard Mikel Brown Jr., per Windhorst and Bontemps. The three guards are all expected to go in the top nine. “The guy who is most ready to play in the NBA is Acuff,” the first East executive said. “If you didn’t know anything other than watching him play, you’d think he was a four-year player. That’s how smooth he is.”
- Kansas star Peterson has missed 11 games this season due to various injuries and wasn’t 100% at times when he did play. Multiple sources tell Shreyas Laddha of The Kansas City Star that Peterson has dealt with serious cramping issues since before his freshman season began. According to Laddha, Peterson confirmed after Kansas was eliminated by Houston in the Big 12 semifinal that he had to be hospitalized to receive two bags of intravenous fluids in September, after the team’s boot camp. “I had like a full-body (cramp), super serious,” he said. “You could say it was traumatic. I would say it was a traumatic experience.” Peterson asked to be subbed out of multiple games in 2025/26 due to cramps and he reiterated the initial experience was “traumatic” and a “huge factor” in his decision-making process.
- Peterson recently said he’s feeling better now physically, but he admitted to The Star he would have done certain things differently this season in retrospect. “There was some foolish stuff being said, but I could have probably did better in probably (getting) in front of it instead of people making stuff up,” Peterson said. “It’s over now, but don’t nobody say nothing about me finishing games and stuff now, which is funny to me. But I don’t really care. I am just glad I am feeling better.”
And-Ones: 2026 Mock, Schedule, Contracts, Weaver
Kansas guard Darryn Peterson, BYU forward AJ Dybantsa, Duke big man Cameron Boozer, and UNC forward Caleb Wilson are the top four picks — in that order — in the latest 2026 mock draft from Jeremy Woo of ESPN.
As Woo writes, while Peterson is the most talented offensive player in the 2026 class, injuries and inconsistency have led to a perception that selecting him first overall might carry more risk than adding Dybantsa or Boozer, who are both still in the mix for the top spot. Woo suggests which team wins the draft lottery might ultimately determine which player goes No. 1, with Peterson and Dybantsa viewed as the two frontrunners.
Illinois guard Keaton Wagler (No. 6) and Texas wing Dailyn Swain (No. 29) are among the prospects who have boosted their stocks this season, while Arizona forward Koa Peat (No. 19) and Baylor wing Tounde Yessoufou (No. 30) are trending in the opposite direction, according to Woo.
Here are a few more odds and ends from around the basketball world:
- Dean Oliver of ESPN takes a look at how teams’ remaining strength of schedule could impact which NBA teams secure the third and fourth seeds in the Western Conference, the No. 2 spot in the East, and the fifth and sixth seeds in the East.
- Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report predicts which NBA contracts will be the riskiest ahead of the 2027/2028 season. Although he’s the “most likely” player to live up to his lucrative long-term contract, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander‘s super-max extension will be the riskiest deal in the league in a couple seasons, per Pincus. The reigning MVP will be owed a projected $273.3MM over four years in ’27/28.
- Former NBA assistant Will Weaver has been named head coach and president of basketball operation of the Brisbane Bullets, he told Olgun Uluc of ESPN. The Bullets compete in the National Basketball League, which features nine Australian teams and one based in New Zealand. Weaver, who previously coached the Sydney Kings in 2019/20, is currently a coaching advisor for the Hornets and will continue in that role through the end of ’25/26, Uluc reports.
And-Ones: Yurtseven, Metu, KD, Wiseman, Dybantsa
A pair of former NBA big men have signed new contracts and are set to resume their playing careers.
Former Heat and Jazz center Omer Yurtseven, who averaged 5.0 points and 4.6 rebounds per game in 113 NBA regular season appearances from 2021-24, has signed a G League deal and will join the Rockets‘ affiliate, the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, reports Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Twitter link). The Turkish big man has spent most of the past two years overseas playing for Panathinaikos, but recently parted ways with the Greek team.
Meanwhile, former NBA forward/center Chimezie Metu is headed to Europe, having agreed to join Gran Canaria in Spain for the rest of the 2025/26 season, according to an announcement from the team. Metu made 260 NBA appearances from 2018-24 for Sacramento, San Antonio, Phoenix, and Detroit, but signed with Barcelona for the 2024/25 season and then suffered a torn Achilles last March.
We have more odds and ends from around the basketball world:
- Rockets star Kevin Durant spoke recently about his desire to play for Team USA at the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles, and head coach Erik Spoelstra appears to be on board with the idea, writes Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press. “Just him saying that is incredible,” Spoelstra said over the weekend. “You know, that’s the culture of USA Basketball. You just want the best American players to raise their hand and say, ‘I want to do this.'”
- Speaking of USA Basketball, Joe Vardon of The Athletic checked in this weekend with former No. 2 overall pick James Wiseman, who was representing the U.S. in a pair of World Cup qualifying games against the Dominican Republic and Mexico. Wiseman viewed the games as “a test to see where I was at” following last season’s Achilles tear and an opportunity to show he deserves a spot on an NBA roster. Team USA head coach Stephen Silas believes he made a strong case. “He’s long, he can play pick-and-roll defense,” Silas said. “… He rebounds, he blocks shots. He’s a little rusty; scoring around the hoop was a little bit tough for him. But he belongs on the NBA roster.”
- Asked by McKay Coppins in an episode of Deseret Voices (YouTube link) if he thinks he’ll be the No. 1 pick in this year’s NBA draft, BYU forward AJ Dybantsa suggested it’s not a sure thing that he goes pro this spring. “I might not leave college,” Dybantsa said (Twitter video link via The Deseret News). “… My mom wants me to graduate, so I might not leave.” It’s not uncommon for top prospects to make that sort of declaration during the college season – Cooper Flagg did the same thing a year ago – but it would be virtually unprecedented in recent draft history for a potential top pick like Dybantsa to actually follow through on the idea.
- Former Morgan Stanley investment advisor Darryl Cohen, who advised current Trail Blazers guard Jrue Holiday and other NBA players, was convicted by a Manhattan jury on Tuesday of wire fraud and investment advisor fraud, reports Michael McCann of Sportico. Cohen, who was charged for leading a scheme to defraud Holiday and former NBA players Chandler Parsons and Courtney Lee, arranged for those players to buy insurance policies at “massive markups” and moved money from their financial accounts into a fraudulent nonprofit organization under the guise that they were making charitable donations, as McCann details.
And-Ones: Mock Draft, Big Board, Wembanyama, USA Basketball
BYU wing AJ Dybantsa goes No. 1 overall in the latest mock draft from Sam Vecenie of The Athletic. As Vecenie details, the 6’9″ freshman has put up incredible numbers, has elite athletic tools, and has made tremendous strides in terms of his offensive decision-making and passing. Dybantsa is still a work in progress on the other end though, per Vecenie.
Dybantsa, Kansas guard Darryn Peterson (No. 2 in Vecenie’s mock) and Duke power forward Cameron Boozer (No. 3) are all in contention to be selected with the first pick, Vecenie writes, but Dybantsa and Peterson are talked about more often for that spot.
According to Vecenie, North Carolina forward Caleb Wilson is the clear No. 4 player in a class that is “absurdly good” at the top. Then there’s another five players (Houston’s Kingston Flemings, Illinois’ Keaton Wagler, Arkansas’ Darius Acuff Jr., Louisville’s Mikel Brown Jr. and Tennessee’s Nate Ament) that teams would love to land.
The 10 through 30 spots in the first round are much trickier to pin down, Vecenie continues, in part because it’s unclear which players will return to school to potentially make more money because of name, image and likeness — some could get around $4MM, per Vecenie.
Here are a few more odds and ends from around the basketball world:
- Jon Chepkevich of RookieScale.com has created a consensus big board using input sources from 13 different outlets (including The Athletic) and “dozens of other independent boards/mocks.” The same nine players listed above are the top nine on Chepkevich’s board, with Michigan big man Yaxel Lendeborg at No. 10 (he’s No. 19 in Vecenie’s mock) and Kentucky big man Jayden Quaintance at No. 11 (No. 12 in Vecenie’s mock).
- Third-year center Victor Wembanyama has become a minority investor in Nanterre, the French team with whom the Spurs star played from the ages of 10-17, per Eurohoops. Wembanyama made the announcement alongside his former coach in an interview with Yann Ohnona of L’Équipe. “I don’t even remember who approached whom first, but it happened naturally. I was born and raised in France. I want to have an impact on French basketball, and at Nanterre because that’s where I feel at home,” Wembanyama said.
- The U.S. men’s national team was upset by the Dominican Republic in a 2027 World Cup qualifying game last Thursday, writes Joe Vardon of The Athletic. Team USA never led in the game and trailed by as many as 19 points. “Now I am very happy because every player that comes to the (Dominican Republic) national team, they feel love for this country, for this flag,” Dominican coach Nestor Garcia said. “In our country, the people support us. This is for the Dominican people.” As Vardon notes, the U.S. roster isn’t exactly star-studded considering it’s the middle of the NBA season, but several players with recent experience in the league are competing, including James Wiseman and Jeremiah Robinson-Earl. After rebounding by blowing out Mexico on Sunday, Team USA is still 3-1 with eight qualifying games remaining, so the Americans aren’t in any danger of not qualifying for the World Cup at this point.
And-Ones: Peterson, 2024 Draft, East Race, Yurtseven, Richardson
Controversy surrounding Darryn Peterson, who has been in and out of the Kansas lineup, won’t significantly impact his draft stock, Brian Lewis of the New York Post reports in a subscriber-only story. A projected top-three pick who could be the first player off the board in June, Peterson has missed 11 games and departed early in some others.
“I don’t think Peterson — or (Cameron) Boozer or (AJ) Dybantsa — will play their way out of the top three,” former Sixers scout Michael VandeGarde told Lewis. “Those three guys are special. It’s probably ‘eye of the beholder.’ Peterson is spectacular.”
We have more from around the international basketball world:
- The 2024 draft class was projected to be a weak one and it has lived up to its billing, John Hollinger of The Athletic opines. He notes the Spurs’ Stephon Castle and Wizards’ Alex Sarr are the only draft picks that could be considered one of their team’s three best players. Donovan Clingan, Kel’el Ware, Jaylon Tyson and Ajay Mitchell are the only other draft picks who have established themselves as starting-caliber players.
- NBA executives generally believe the Eastern Conference is up for grabs once the playoffs begin despite the Pistons‘ gaudy record, ESPN’s Tim Bontemps and Brian Windhorst report. One Eastern Conference GM said “six or seven” teams could emerge from the pack, as each contender has some flaws. Another unnamed executive believes there will be consequences for some contenders that come up short of the Eastern Finals. “There’s two to three teams that are going to have some real fallout if they don’t make the conference finals,” that team president said. “That’s the case every year, I know, but there’s not a lot of honeymoons going on in the East.”
- Former Heat and Jazz center Omer Yurtseven has departed Greece’s Panathinaikos BC, Sportando relays. Yurtseven had trouble establishing a meaningful role with the Greek club. In this EuroLeague season, Yurtseven averaged 6.3 points and 3.5 rebounds per game.
- Veteran NBA wing Josh Richardson has parted ways with Spain’s Casademont Zaragoza, according to Eurohoops.net. A veteran of 10 NBA seasons with 584 appearances on six teams, including 30 playoff games, Richardson reached a mutual agreement with the Spanish club to terminate his contract. Signing on January 23, he averaged 9.6 points per contest across five appearances in the FIBA Europe Cup and Spain’s Liga Endesa.
And-Ones: Wilson, 2026 Draft, Cunningham, Summer League
North Carolina star Caleb Wilson has been diagnosed with a fracture in his left hand, the school announced in a press release. A timeline for the freshman big man’s return has not yet been established.
Wilson, who sustained the injury in the first half of Tuesday’s loss at Miami (FL), has been one of the most productive players in college basketball, averaging 19.8 points, 9.4 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 1.5 steals and 1.4 blocks in 31.3 minutes per game across 24 appearances.
A 19-year-old forward/center, Wilson is ranked No. 4 on the latest big board from Jeremy Woo of ESPN. According to Woo, while the consensus top three prospects for the 2026 draft continue to be Darryn Peterson, AJ Dybantsa and Cameron Boozer, some talent evaluators believe Wilson has a chance to be selected in the top three, depending on how things shake out over the next handful of months.
Here are a few more odds and ends from around the basketball world:
- The three biggest risers among Woo’s top 25 prospects are Illinois guard Keaton Wagler (No. 6; was No. 25), Arizona guard Brayden Burries (No. 17; was No. 41) and Texas Tech guard Christian Anderson (No. 19; was No. 38). As for players trending in the opposite direction, Woo points to Arizona forward/center Koa Peat (No. 16; was No. 8) and Kentucky center Jayden Quaintance (No. 18; was No. 9). As Woo explains, while Peat has several positive attributes, there are question marks about his shooting, rim protection and size. Quaintance, meanwhile, has been shut down indefinitely due to knee swelling after tearing his ACL last March.
- Pistons star Cade Cunningham has purchased a minority stake in the Texas Rangers, he tells Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link). The former No. 1 overall pick, who will make his second consecutive All-Star appearance this weekend, is a native of Arlington, Texas, where the MLB is based.
- The primary Summer League event will be held in Las Vegas again this year, the NBA announced on Wednesday (via Twitter). The games will be held from July 9-19.
And-Ones: Ott, Lee, No. 1 Pick, Graham, Dort
The Suns’ Jordan Ott and Hornets’ Charles Lee have been named the Western and Eastern Conference Coaches of the Month, respectively, for games played in January, according to the league (Twitter links). Phoenix went 11-5 last month, while Charlotte posted an 11-6 record.
David Adelman (Nuggets), Chris Finch (Timberwolves) and Tyronn Lue (Clippers) were the other Western Conference nominees. Kenny Atkinson (Cavaliers), J.B. Bickerstaff (Pistons) and Joe Mazzulla (Celtics) were also nominated from the Eastern Conference.
Here’s more from around the international basketball world:
- Kansas shooting guard Darryn Peterson and BYU forward AJ Dybantsa loom as the projected top two picks in the upcoming NBA draft, according to ESPN’s Pete Thamel. ESPN polled 20 NBA scouts and a dozen chose Peterson as the top pick, while Dybantsa garnered the other eight votes. With BYU visiting Kansas this past Saturday, those two stars put on a display to solidify their resumes. Dybantsa had 17 points and Peterson scored 18 in the Jayhawks’ victory. At least 17 NBA teams had reps at the contest. However, Bleacher Report’s Jonathan Wasserman claims there’s another legitimate candidate for the top pick (Twitter link). He says multiple front office executives and scouts have Duke’s Cameron Boozer atop their draft boards.
- Former NBA guard Devonte’ Graham and Crvena Zvevda have severed ties. After several consecutive games without playing, Graham agreed to a termination of his contract, according to Eurohoops.net. Graham only played seven EuroLeague games, averaging 3.0 points, 1.3 rebounds, and 1.1 assists in 11.2 minutes per contest. Graham, who signed with the Serbian club in August, appeared in 336 regular season NBA games, making 171 starts and posting career averages of 11.1 PPG, 2.3 RPG and 4.3 APG.
- Thunder defensive ace Luguentz Dort has hired Klutch Sports as his representative, the agency tweets. Oklahoma City holds an $18.2MM club option on his contract for next season.