As expected, Dion Waiters intends to opt out of his 2017/18 player option, league sources tell Chris Haynes of ESPN. That means the 25-year-old guard who saw a resurgence this season will forego the guaranteed $3.2MM he had lined up with the Heat in order to test the open market.
Considering that Waiters put forth his most complete season as a professional this year, he is expected to yield a significant pay raise. The fifth-year player posted career highs with 4.3 assists and 3.3 rebounds per game while adding 15.8 points per contest.
Given the role that Pat Riley and the Heat played in the rejuvenation of his career and the stellar run that saw Miami fly from a 11-30 start to a near-playoff berth, Waiters is said to have an interest in returning to South Beach.
Whether or not the Heat prioritize retaining his services, however, is yet to be determined with some acknowledging that the organization could instead pursue an established star with their cap space this summer.
Waiters rejuvenated his floundering career with Miami, was a decent replacement for DWade, not he wants to get greedy. He should stay there.
How is it being greedy to decline “your option”? Teams decline team options all the time if a player doesn’t hack it on the floor. He has a good season so he has every right to decline the option and get more money there or elsewhere.