The Pelicans confirmed today that Anthony Morrow will opt out of his contract on July 1st and is set to enter unrestricted free agency this summer, reports John Reid of NOLA.com. The 6’5 shooting guard earned a little over $1MM in 2013/14 and had a player option worth about $1.1MM for 2014/15. We heard in late May that Morrow was expected to decline his player option; however, he was reportedly still undecided earlier this month.
The two sides have mutual interest in negotiating a new contract, but just how much the Pelicans are willing to offer to keep Morrow remains to be seen. Reid notes that the Pelicans are entering the summer with at least $7MM in cap space and are aggressively looking to improve their roster.
This past season, Morrow posted 8.4 PPG in 18.8 MPG, playing in 76 games and making nine starts. The 28-year-old guard shot 45.8% from the field and 45.1% from long distance, making him the league’s fourth-best three point shooter in 2014/15. With that type of shooting performance, plenty of teams could come calling for Morrow this summer; Reid opines that Morrow could garner an offer that exceeds $3MM annually for up to three seasons.