Having already created a space to track this offseason’s player option decisions, we’re turning our attention today to team options. Over the next couple months, we’ll use the space below to keep tabs on all the team options for 2018/19, making note of whether they’re picked up or declined.
True team options are somewhat rare in the NBA, since clubs have typically preferred to include a non-guaranteed year or two in player contracts. Non-guaranteed salaries are less restrictive and provide a little more flexibility than team options, which clubs must act upon by a specific date (June 29) each year.
The list below also doesn’t include rookie scale team options for 2018/19, since those third- and fourth-year options function differently than team options on standard veteran contracts. Those ’18/19 rookie scale team option decisions were made during the 2017 offseason, and can be found here.
The standard team options for 2018/19 are listed below. We’ll keep this list updated through the end of June to note the latest decisions.
Point Guards
- Aaron Jackson, Rockets ($1,378,242): Exercised
- T.J. McConnell, Sixers ($1,600,520): Exercised
- Joe Young, Pacers ($1,600,520): Declined
Shooting Guards
- Lance Stephenson, Pacers ($4,360,000): Declined
Small Forwards
- None
Power Forwards
- Jordan Mickey, Heat ($1,600,520): Declined
- Nikola Mirotic, Pelicans ($12,500,000): Exercised
- Dirk Nowitzki, Mavericks ($5,000,000): Declined
Centers
- Richaun Holmes, Sixers ($1,600,520): Exercised
- Nikola Jokic, Nuggets ($1,600,520): Declined
- Kendrick Perkins, Cavaliers ($2,445,085): Exercised
I’d be shocked to see Philly decline McConnells option. I think Dallas will decline Dirks and give him a raise. The whole Jokic thing is a weird situation
Yeah, they’ll decline Jokic cuz it’s weird
Jokic isn’t really that weird. He was a mid 2nd round pick that signed a standard deal. He outperformed it greatly, but it was still just a standard deal.
I think the weirdness being referenced is the fact that the Nuggets will probably decline that crazy discount of a team option, since exercising it would put Jokic on track to be an unrestricted free agent in 2019 (instead of restricted in 2018).
Exactly Luke
Does that apply to all of them?
Pick up–> UFA2019
Decline–> RFA2018
Holmes’ minutes declined, but efficiency not
Some, but not all. McConnell and Holmes would be RFAs if their options are turned down, for instance, but veteran guys like Dirk, Perkins, Lance, etc. would just be UFAs.