Magic Declining Jett Howard’s 2026/27 Option
The Magic won’t exercise their fourth-year option on Jett Howard‘s rookie scale contract for the 2026/27 season, reports Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel (Twitter link).
The move will make Howard an unrestricted free agent during the 2026 offseason, assuming he plays out the current season without being waived. The Magic – or Howard’s new team, if he’s traded prior to February’s deadline – would not be permitted next summer to offer him a starting salary exceeding $7,337,938, which is the amount of the ’26/27 option being declined.
The 11th overall pick in the 2023 draft and the son of former NBA star Juwan Howard, Jett has yet to establish himself as a reliable rotation player at the NBA level. In 80 total appearances since he made his professional debut, the former Michigan standout has averaged just 3.7 points and 1.0 rebound in 9.8 minutes per game, with a shooting line of .369/.294/.667.
The Magic’s financial situation made the decision to decline Howard’s fourth-year option a more straightforward one. Even without his $7.34MM cap hit on their books, they project to operate in tax apron territory in 2026/27, with Paolo Banchero‘s maximum-salary rookie scale extension set to take effect.
While Howard won’t have his 2026/27 option exercised, Orlando is picking up Anthony Black‘s fourth-year option and Tristan Da Silva‘s third-year option for next season, according to Beede (Twitter link).
Black, 21, is off to a strong start in a significant role off Orlando’s bench, averaging 12.0 points and 3.5 rebounds in 26.0 minutes per game while shooting 53.1% from the field. The sixth overall pick from the 2023 draft will earn $10,106,315 on his newly exercised 2026/27 option and will become eligible for a rookie scale extension during the 2026 offseason.
As for Da Silva, last year’s 18th overall pick had a solid rookie season for the Magic in 2024/25, averaging 7.2 points and 3.3 rebounds per game in 74 outings (38 starts). The 24-year-old German will make $3,991,200 in ’26/27 and the team will have to decide next October whether to exercise his $6.14MM option for the ’27/28 season.
We’re tracking all of this year’s rookie scale team option decisions right here.
Pistons Pick Up 2026/27 Options On Three Players
The Pistons have exercised their 2026/27 rookie scale team options on the following three players, according to RealGM’s official NBA transaction log:
- Ausar Thompson (fourth year, $11,117,925)
- Ron Holland (third year, $9,069,600)
- Marcus Sasser (fourth year, $5,198,983)
The Pistons actually made the moves last week, but didn’t formally announce them on social media or on their website. Their decisions had been due by October 31.
Thompson, the fifth overall pick in the 2023 draft, is a breakout candidate in Detroit this season. The 6’7″ wing had one of his best all-around games as a pro in Sunday’s win over Boston, notes Omari Sankofa II of The Detroit Free Press, with 21 points, 12 rebounds, three assists, two steals, and a game-high +15 plus/minus mark. He’s averaging 14.3 PPG, 6.5 RPG, and 3.5 APG through the team’s first four games.
Holland, 2024’s No. 5 pick, appeared in all but one of the Pistons’ games as a rookie last season and figures to play a crucial role off the bench in ’25/26 too. Through his first four outings, he has increased his scoring average to 12.0 PPG on .457/.313/.846 shooting while also contributing 3.5 RPG, 2.0 APG, and 1.8 SPG in 21.3 MPG.
Sasser, 25, made 57 appearances last season and averaged 6.6 PPG and 2.3 APG, with a .463/.382/.843 shooting line. The third-year guard, who was drafted 25th overall in 2023, has yet to play this season due to a right hip impingement.
All three players now have guaranteed salaries for the 2026/27 season, with Thompson and Sasser on track to become eligbile for rookie scale extensions during the 2026 offseason. The Pistons’ next decision on Holland will come a year from now, when they’ll have to either pick up or turn down his $11.49MM fourth-year option for ’27/28.
Pacers Waive Wiseman, Sign McClung To Multiyear Deal
October 28: The moves are official, the Pacers confirmed in a press release.
October 27: The Pacers are signing free agent guard Mac McClung to a multiyear contract, agent Greg Lawrence tells Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link).
McClung’s multiyear deal will be non-guaranteed, sources tell Charania (Twitter link).
To make room for McClung on their standard roster, which is currently full, the Pacers intend to waive center James Wiseman, reports Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (via Twitter).
As Keith Smith of Spotrac tweets, Wiseman’s contract features a $1MM partial guarantee. Assuming he clears the waiver wire, Indiana will carry that $1MM cap hit on its books for the remainder of 2025/26.
The No. 2 overall pick in the 2020 draft, Wiseman signed with the Pacers as a free agent in the 2024 offseason after playing for Golden State and Detroit in his first four NBA seasons. The big man impressed Indiana in the preseason last fall and appeared to have the edge for the backup center role behind Myles Turner, but tore his left Achilles tendon in the club’s regular season opener.
Wiseman, 24, re-signed with the Pacers on a two-year deal (the second season is a team option) in July and was said to be in excellent shape entering the ’25/26. Just like last season, he appeared in one game for the Pacers this fall, recording four points and four rebounds in 20 minutes during Saturday’s blowout loss in Memphis.
The Pacers were carrying four centers on their roster and have several guards injured at the moment, so swapping out Wiseman for McClung makes sense from a roster composition perspective.
McClung has become a household name among NBA fans by winning the league’s past three slam dunk contests. However, the 26-year-old has still seen limited game action at the NBA level, appearing in just six total regular season contests for four teams from 2021-25. He was on a two-way contract with the Magic for all of last season, but logged just 10 total minutes in two outings for Orlando.
McClung has starred in the G League in recent years, earning a spot on the All-NBAGL first team in 2024/25 after being named MVP in ’23/24. In a total of 44 appearances for the Osceola Magic last season, he averaged 23.0 points, 5.4 assists and 3.9 rebounds in 32.4 minutes per game, with a shooting line of .481/.344/.828.
The 6’2″ guard was signed and waived by Chicago this fall and likely would have started ’25/26 with the Windy City Bulls had the opportunity with Indiana not come up. Instead, he’ll be signing his first standard NBA contract with the Pacers, as Charania notes.
Grizzlies Sign Charles Bassey To 10-Day Hardship Deal
October 27: Bassey’s 10-day contract with the Grizzlies is now official, the team announced (Twitter link).
October 26: The Grizzlies are preparing to sign free agent center Charles Bassey, reports ESPN’s Shams Charania (via Twitter).
Memphis doesn’t have an open 15-man roster spot, but will complete the signing using a hardship exception, which allows a club to temporarily add a 16th man.
A team qualifies for a hardship exception if it has at least four players who have missed three consecutive games and are expected to be sidelined for at least two more weeks. Ty Jerome, Zach Edey, Scotty Pippen Jr., and Brandon Clarke fit that bill for the Grizzlies, per Charania.
Bassey is entering his fifth season in the NBA, having spent the last three seasons with the Spurs after playing for the Sixers as a rookie. The former 53rd overall pick holds career averages of 4.3 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 0.9 blocks in 11.1 minutes per game.
Bassey, a 6’10” center, will turn 25 in two days and can provide some stability at the center spot, which has been manned primarily by Jock Landale to start the season.
The Grizzlies are 2-1, with wins over the Pacers and Pelicans, though they gave up 146 points in a loss to the Heat on Friday and currently boast the sixth-worst mark among teams for opponent scoring allowed, giving up 123.7 points per game.
Hardship deals cover 10 days at a time. If the Grizzlies still meet the hardship criteria when Bassey’s first 10-day contract expires, he could be signed to a second 10-day deal.
Pelicans Sign DeAndre Jordan To One-Year Deal
The Pelicans and free agent center DeAndre Jordan have reached an agreement on a one-year, minimum-salary contract, agent Jeff Schwartz tells Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link). The deal is official, per NBA.com’s transaction log.
New Orleans had an open spot on its standard 15-man roster after waiving guard Jaden Springer on Thursday.
Jordan, a three-time All-NBA center who has led the league in rebounding twice and won a title with Denver in 2023, has been in the NBA since 2008 and has appeared in over 1,100 regular season games for a total of seven teams.
The 37-year-old no longer plays the same kind of significant role he did earlier in his career, but he still saw semi-regular minutes for the Nuggets in recent years as one of Nikola Jokic‘s backups. In 2024/25, Jordan made 56 regular season appearances, averaging 3.7 points and 5.1 rebounds in 12.3 minutes per contest.
The Pelicans, who have 14 players on guaranteed standard contracts and had Springer on a non-guaranteed deal, determined that it made more sense to use that 15th roster spot to carry another big man, since their frontcourt has been hit hard by injuries early in the season.
Presumed starting center Kevon Looney is currently sidelined due to a left knee sprain, while big men Yves Missi (right ankle sprain) and Karlo Matkovic (low back spasms) are considered questionable to play vs. San Antonio on Friday. Rookie forward/center Derik Queen is available, but he missed the entire preseason while recovering from wrist surgery and is unlikely to see a ton of playing time right away — he logged 15 minutes in Wednesday’s opener.
According to NBA.com’s transaction log, Jordan officially signed on Thursday, which means he would earn a prorated minimum salary of $3,592,381, with the Pelicans taking on a cap hit of $2,269,880.
I would expect Jordan’s deal is non-guaranteed, giving the club the flexibility to consider another move with that 15th roster spot if and when its frontcourt gets healthier. However, that’s just my speculation and hasn’t been confirmed.
Pelicans Waive Jaden Springer
The Pelicans have made a roster move just one game into the regular season, announcing today in a press release that they’ve waived Jaden Springer.
Springer, a defensive-minded guard who made New Orleans’ opening night roster after coming to camp on a non-guaranteed Exhibit 9 deal, was active for Wednesday’s game, but didn’t see any action. He appeared in a pair of preseason contests, averaging 3.5 points, 2.0 rebounds, and 1.5 assists in 6.3 minutes per game.
Because Springer’s salary was non-guaranteed, the Pelicans will only carry a small dead-money cap hit after waiving him. The 23-year-old will be paid for the three days of the regular season he spent under contract, as well as the two days he spends on waivers.
In total, he’ll earn 5/174ths of his $2,461,463 salary, which works out to $70,732. That’s also the cap hit that will be left on New Orleans’ books, assuming Springer goes unclaimed on waivers.
The Pelicans now have an open spot on their 15-man standard roster and have roughly doubled their breathing room below the luxury tax line, to over $4MM.
Cavs Pick Up Third-Year Option On Jaylon Tyson
The Cavaliers have exercised their third-year option on guard Jaylon Tyson for the 2026/27 season, the team announced today in a press release.
The move ensures that Tyson’s contract is guaranteed for at least the next two seasons. He’ll earn $3,492,480 in 2025/26 and $3,658,560 in ’26/27, with the Cavs facing a decision next fall on his $5,641,500 option for the ’27/28 season, the fourth year of his rookie scale contract.
Tyson, who will turn 23 in December, played a limited role as a rookie after being drafted 20th overall in 2024. While he saw the floor in 47 games, he averaged just 9.6 minutes per night and often only got off the bench in garbage time.
The 6’6″ shooting guard contributed 3.6 points and 2.0 rebounds per game while making 43.0% of his shots from the floor (including 34.5% of his three-pointers) and 79.2% from the free throw line.
As our tracker shows, Tyson is the only Cavalier whose contract includes a rookie scale team option for 2026/27, so the team won’t have to make any more contract decisions by the October 31 deadline.
Nuggets Exercising Options On Strawther, Holmes
The Nuggets are picking up their rookie scale team options for 2026/27 on both Julian Strawther and DaRon Holmes, reports Katy Winge of Altitude Sports (Twitter link).
Strawther, the 29th overall pick in the 2023 draft, emerged as a regular part of Denver’s rotation last season, averaging 9.0 points, 2.2 rebounds, and 1.3 assists in 21.3 minutes per game across 65 appearances, with a shooting line of .432/.349/.822. The 23-year-old wing was already under contract for roughly $2.67MM this season — now his $4,826,931 salary for next season is locked in as well.
The Nuggets traded up in the 2024 draft to land Holmes with the 22nd overall pick, but the former Dayton forward missed his entire rookie season after tearing his right Achilles in his Summer League debut. He has made a full recovery from that injury and should be available when Denver’s season tips off on Thursday. After earning about $3.22MM this season, the 23-year-old will make $3,372,120 in 2026/27 on his newly exercised option.
Strawther’s option is for the fourth year of his rookie contract, so he’ll become eligible for a rookie scale extension next summer. The Nuggets will have to make one more decision on Holmes’ rookie deal next fall — his fourth-year option for ’27/28 is worth about $5.55MM.
We’re tracking all of the rookie scale team option decisions for 2026/27 right here.
Nets Pick Up Noah Clowney’s 2026/27 Option
The Nets have exercised their fourth-year team option on big man Noah Clowney for the 2026/27 season, the team announced today (Twitter link via Adam Zagoria of NJ.com).
Clowney, who is earning roughly $3.4MM in 2025/26, will now have his $5,414,034 salary for next season guaranteed as well. He’ll be eligible for a rookie scale extension during the 2026 offseason and would reach potential restricted free agency in 2027 if he doesn’t sign a new contract before that point.
The 21st overall pick in the 2023 draft, Clowney didn’t play much at the NBA level as a rookie, appearing in just 23 games. He earned more regular minutes in 2024/25, but was limited to 46 outings due to various injuries, including sprains affecting both ankles.
In those 46 games, Clowney averaged 9.1 points and 3.9 rebounds in 22.7 minutes per contest, shooting just 35.8% from the floor, including 33.3% on three-pointers. Although he’s a 6’10” forward/center, the 21-year-old attempted 261 shots from beyond the arc last season, compared to 111 two-point tries.
[RELATED: Decisions On 2026/27 Rookie Scale Team Options]
The Nets also would have had decisions to make on 2026/27 rookie scale team options for Kobe Bufkin and Dariq Whitehead, but they waived both players, automatically declining those options in the process.
Grizzlies Exercise 2026/27 Option On Zach Edey
The Grizzlies have exercised their 2026/27 option on Zach Edey‘s contract, the team’s PR department tweets. The cap hit on Edey’s third season in the league will be $6,332,760.
[RELATED: Decisions On 2026/27 Rookie Scale Team Options]
Memphis had until the end of the month to exercise that option but it was foregone conclusion that would happen. Edey was the ninth pick of last year’s draft and started a majority of the team’s games. He appeared in 66 overall (55 starts) and averaged 9.2 points, 8.3 rebounds, 1.o assists and 1.3 blocks in 21.5 minutes per contest.
The two-time National College Player of the Year at Purdue was named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team.
Edey underwent ankle surgery in June and is still several weeks away from returning to action.