Bobcats Pick Up 2014/15 Options On Three
8:51 pm: The Bobcats have officially announced in a press release that they have exercised their 2014/15 options on Biyombo, Walker and Kidd-Gilchrist.
3:15 pm: The Bobcats have exercised their 2014/15 options on Bismack Biyombo, Kemba Walker, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, reports Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer (via Twitter). Biyombo and Walker are now locked up on fully guaranteed deals through 2015, while the team will hold one more option on Kidd-Gilchrist in ’15/16.
Kidd-Gilchrist’s option is for his third year, as opposed to Biyombo’s and Walker’s fourth-year options, but the Kentucky product will be in line for the largest ’14/15 salary due to his draft position. Kidd-Gilchrist will earn a little over $5MM next season, while Biyombo will make about $3.87MM and Walker will earn about $3.27MM. Biyombo and Walker will be extension-eligible next summer.
As our rookie contract option tracker shows, with tonight’s deadline looming, only a couple more teams still need to make decisions on whether to exercise or decline 2014/15 rookie contract options.
76ers Exercise Options On Moultrie, Wroten
The Sixers have guaranteed a pair of salaries for the 2014/15 season, having exercised their options on Arnett Moultrie and Tony Wroten, according to RealGM.com’s transactions log. Neither 2012 draftee had a particularly strong rookie campaign, but their salaries will only add about $2.35MM in guaranteed money to Philadelphia’s ’14/15 books.
Moultrie, 22, played well (16.7 PER) when he saw the court in his rookie season, but only averaged 11.5 MPG in 47 contests. He’ll earn $1.14MM in his third year. Wroten, meanwhile, was traded to the Sixers by the Grizzlies in August, essentially for nothing but the cap savings. He should get a chance to earn a larger role in Philadelphia this season, before getting a salary bump to about $1.21MM in 2014/15.
The Sixers now have five players on guaranteed contracts for ’14/15, plus Jason Richardson, who has a $6.6MM player option that will certainly be exercised if he’s not bought out.
Grizzlies Sign Quincy Pondexter To Extension
3:48pm: The Grizzlies have officially announced in a press release that they’ve signed Pondexter to a contract extension.
10:33am: The Grizzlies’ deal with Pondexter will be worth $14MM over four years, reports Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com (via Twitter).
8:03am: Ed Davis was viewed as the likeliest extension candidate on the Grizzlies leading up to today’s deadline, but his teammate Quincy Pondexter may be the only Memphis player who gets a new deal today, according to Ronald Tillery of the Memphis Commercial Appeal. Tillery reports (via Twitter) that Pondexter and the Grizzlies are expected to finalize a four-year contract in advance of today’s deadline, while an extension is unlikely for Davis, who is far apart with the team in negotiations.
When ESPN.com’s Marc Stein examined extension possibilities 10 days ago, he indicated that a deal for Pondexter hadn’t been completely ruled out by the Grizzlies, though it didn’t seem probable. According to Tillery (via Twitter), the extension came together within the last few days, after the two sides exchanged proposals. The financial terms of the contract remain unclear, but it’s safe to assume that Pondexter’s deal will be much more modest than those signed recently by Paul George, John Wall, DeMarcus Cousins, Derrick Favors, and Larry Sanders.
Pondexter, 25, was limited to 59 games last season due to a sprained MCL, but had his best run during the playoffs, when he averaged 8.9 PPG and shot 45.3% on three-pointers. The 6’6″ shooter has played the last two seasons in Memphis after being acquired from New Orleans in a trade for Greivis Vasquez.
With today’s extension deadline looming, I wouldn’t be surprised if we see one or two players besides Pondexter secure new deals. Gordon Hayward of the Jazz and Eric Bledsoe of the Suns are among the candidates.
Kings Decline 2014/15 Option On Fredette
The Kings have informed Jimmer Fredette of their decision to turn down his option for 2014/15, reports Sam Amick of USA Today (via Twitter). The move ensures that Fredette will become an unrestricted free agent next summer.
Two years into his NBA career, Fredette, 24, hasn’t lived up to the lofty expectations placed on him when he was drafted 10th overall in 2011. Although the BYU product recorded a respectable 14.6 PER last season, his minutes per game were reduced from 18.6 in his rookie year to just 14.0 in 2012/13. In a Kings backcourt that features Greivis Vasquez, Isaiah Thomas, Ben McLemore, and Marcus Thornton, it doesn’t look like there’s a meaningful role for Fredette, who would have been in line for a $3.11MM salary in 2014/15.
As our rookie contract option tracker shows, it’s rare for teams to turn down options on rookie contracts. So the Kings’ decision still comes as a slight surprise, even though our Chuck Myron wrote last month that Fredette was in danger due in part to his defensive limitations and the new regime in Sacramento. The decision likely ensures that Fredette’s name will pop up in trade rumors frequently between now and February’s deadline.
Celtics Pick Up Option On Sullinger, Decline On Brooks
FRIDAY, 1:48pm: The Celtics have officially exercised their 2014/15 option on Sullinger, the team announced today in a press release. As Ainge suggested on Wednesday, Brooks’ option was not picked up.
WEDNESDAY, 1:43pm: Celtics GM Danny Ainge confirmed today that his team will exercise its 2014/15 option on Jared Sullinger‘s rookie contract, according to Chris Forsberg of ESPNBoston.com (via Twitter). However, the C’s will turn down their option on offseason acquisition MarShon Brooks, says Forsberg.
The decision to pick up Sullinger’s third-year option comes as no surprise, following a productive rookie season that was cut short by back surgery. As our rookie contract option tracker shows, he’ll be in line for a 2014/15 salary of only about $1.42MM, so it will have a negligible impact on Boston’s cap flexibility.
As for Brooks, his $2.18MM fourth-year option is fairly inexpensive as well, but it seems the former Net isn’t in the Celtics’ long-term plans at the moment. Although the team will still be able to re-sign Brooks if he impresses in Boston this season, he’ll now be an unrestricted free agent next summer.
Bulls Pick Up Options On Butler, Teague
5:13pm: The Bulls have officially announced the moves, via press release.
4:14pm: After some “lingering doubt,” the Bulls have also picked up their 2014/15 option on Teague, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports (via Twitter).
10:11am: The Bulls have officially exercised Jimmy Butler‘s fourth-year option, according to RealGM.com’s transactions log. The move ensures that Butler’s salary will be guaranteed through the 2014/15 season.
Butler, 24, appeared in all 82 games for the Bulls last season, averaging 8.6 PPG and a 15.2 PER as he emerged as a key part of the team’s core. He’ll be in line for a salary of about $2MM in ’14/15, and will also be eligible for a contract extension as of next July.
The Bulls also have to make a decision today or tomorrow on Marquis Teague‘s 2014/15 option, and the fact that it has yet to be picked up could signal that Chicago will pass. Although the Bulls would only be on the hook for an extra $1.12MM in ’14/15 if they exercised Teague’s option, a report earlier this month suggested that the club was prepared to move on from the second-year point guard.
Rockets Pick Up Options On Jones, Motiejunas
4:36pm: The Rockets have officially announced that the team exercised its 2014/15 options on Jones and Motiejunas, tweets Feigen.
OCTOBER 30TH, 10:54am: Houston will officially exercise its options on Jones and Motiejunas today, tweets Feigen.
OCTOBER 20TH, 10:16am: The Rockets plan to exercise their team options on the rookie scale contracts of Terrence Jones and Donatas Motiejunas, according to Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle. Both are coming off their rookie seasons, so the deadline to officially lock in the third years of their respective deals is October 31st. Jones’ 2014/15 option is worth $1,618,680, while Motiejunas is in line for $1,483,920.
The team is hesitant to turn the power forward position over to either just yet, even though the front office is ready to commit to both through 2015, Feigen writes. Motiejunas started 14 regular season games last season and appeared in 30 others, averaging 5.7 points and 2.1 rebounds in 12.2 minutes per contest. Still, he wasn’t a factor in Houston’s playoff series against the Thunder, notching just five total minutes. Jones saw slightly more time in the playoffs, scoring eight points in 35 total minutes, but he appeared in more D-League games than he did NBA contests last year. Jones put up 19.0 PPG and 9.0 RPG in 24 games for the D-League champion Rio Grande Valley Vipers.
The options, once officially exercised, will add about $3MM to the Rockets payroll for 2014/15, which already includes more than $53.8MM in guaranteed money. Houston will likely operate as an over-the-cap team next summer, unlike this past offseason, when the team used ample cap space to sign Dwight Howard. Keep up with each team’s rookie contract option decisions between now and the end of the month with our updated tracker.
Nuggets Exercise Options On Faried, Fournier
4:08pm: The Nuggets have officially announced in a press release that they’ve picked up their 2014/15 options on Faried and Fournier. The release doesn’t include word on Hamilton, so it looks like his option will be declined, though that’s not official yet.
10:16am: The Nuggets have picked up their fourth-year option on Kenneth Faried and their third-year option on Evan Fournier, according to the transactions log at RealGM.com. The club has now locked up Faried for the remainder of his rookie contract, while Fournier will have one more team option for 2015/16.
With Andre Iguodala now playing in Golden State and Danilo Gallinari starting the season on the shelf, the Nuggets will be leaning on Faried and Fournier more than ever this year. Faried will earn a salary of about $1.37MM in 2013/14 before getting a bump to $2.25MM for ’14/15. Fournier, meanwhile, is in line for a guaranteed $1.48MM in ’14/15.
As for the Nuggets’ third rookie scale player, there’s no word yet on Jordan Hamilton‘s fourth-year option, which would be worth about $2.11MM. When Chuck Myron of Hoops Rumors examined this year’s rookie contract option decisions, he suggested that Hamilton would be on the bubble, particularly since Denver’s new GM and coach don’t have as strong a stake in the young swingman. The Nuggets have until tomorrow to exercise or decline Hamilton’s option.
To catch up on all of this month’s rookie contract option decisions, check out our tracker.
International Notes: Powell, Blue, Green
A few more NBA camp invitees have landed jobs overseas, so let’s round up the latest news in today’s collection of international notes….
- Josh Powell was one of the Knicks‘ camp casualties last week, but he’s found a new gig in China, where he’ll join the Guangdong Southern Tigers, tweets Evan Wang of Hupu.com (hat tip to Sportando). Powell is no stranger to international ball, having played for Olympiacos in Greece in 2012/13, following stints in Puerto Rico and China.
- After leaving Marquette a year early and spending camp with the Sixers, Vander Blue has signed in Israel with Maccabi Rishon Lezion, according to the Israeli Basketball League (via Twitter). The 6’5″ shooting guard helped lead Marquette to the Elite Eight in last season’s NCAA tournament, averaging 18.3 PPG in the team’s four March Madness games.
- JaMychal Green, who joined the Clippers for a brief camp stint this month, will head to France to play for Chorale Roanne, says Alexandre Lacoste of Catch-and-Shoot (hat tip to Sportando). Green, a former Alabama forward, played for the D-League’s Austin Toros last season.
Jazz Exercise Options On Kanter, Burks
TUESDAY, 3:50pm: The Jazz have officially exercised their fourth-year options on Kanter and Burks, the team announced today in a press release.
MONDAY, 10:15am: As they continue to work on a potential extension for fourth-year forward Gordon Hayward, the Jazz are set to pick up their 2014/15 options on third-year players Enes Kanter and Alec Burks, GM Dennis Lindsey confirmed today (Twitter link via Jody Genessy of the Deseret News).
The decision doesn’t come as any surprise, since Kanter and Burks as viewed as part of a Utah core that also include Hayward, Trey Burke, and the recently extended Derrick Favors. Kanter and Burks, who will both be eligible for extensions next summer, are now in line for guaranteed 2014/15 salaries of about $5.69MM and $3.03MM, respectively.
The deadline to exercise ’14/15 options on rookie scale players is Thursday, so we can expect an official announcement from the Jazz by then. To follow all the decisions on rookie contract options, be sure to check out our tracker.