Decisions On 2019/20 Rookie Scale Team Options

Under the NBA’s current Collective Bargaining Agreement, the deadline for teams to sign fourth-year players to rookie scale extensions was moved up from October 31 to the last day before the regular season begins, but Halloween remains an important date on the NBA’s calendar. It’s the last day that clubs can exercise team options on the rookie scale contracts of former first-round picks.

All the players whose options will be exercised or declined by October 31 are already under contract for the 2018/19 season. Their teams will have to make a decision on whether they want to lock in those players’ contracts beyond the coming season, picking up or turning down team options for the 2019/20 campaign.

For players who signed their rookie scale contracts in 2016 and have been in the NBA for two years, teams must decide on fourth-year options for 2019/20. For players who just signed their rookie deals last year and only have one season of NBA experience under their belts, teams will already be faced with a decision on third-year options for ’19/20.

In many cases, these decisions aren’t hard ones. Rookie scale salaries are affordable enough that it usually makes sense to exercise most of these team options, even if a player isn’t a key cog on the roster. And for those players who do have a significant role on a team’s roster, the decision is even easier — it’s not as if the Jazz would ever consider turning down their option on Donovan Mitchell, for instance.

Still, we’ll wait for a trusted reporter, the NBA, a player (or his agent), or a team itself to confirm that an option is indeed being exercised or declined, and we’ll track that news in this space.

Listed below are all the rookie scale decisions for 2019/20 team options that clubs must make by October 31. This list will be updated throughout the rest of the offseason and into the first couple weeks of the regular season, as teams’ decisions are reported and announced. The salary figures listed here reflect the cap hits for each team.

Here are the NBA’s rookie scale team option decisions for 2019/20 salaries:

Atlanta Hawks

• Taurean Prince (fourth year, $3,481,986): Exercised
• John Collins (third year, $2,686,560): Exercised
• DeAndre’ Bembry (fourth year, $2,603,982): Exercised

Boston Celtics

• Jayson Tatum (third year, $7,830,000): Exercised
• Jaylen Brown (fourth year, $6,534,829): Exercised
• Guerschon Yabusele (third year, $3,117,240): Exercised

Brooklyn Nets

• Caris LeVert (fourth year, $2,625,718): Exercised
• Jarrett Allen (third year, $2,376,840): Exercised

Charlotte Hornets

• Malik Monk (third year, $4,028,400): Exercised

Chicago Bulls

• Kris Dunn (fourth year, $5,348,007): Exercised
• Lauri Markkanen (third year, $5,300,400): Exercised
• Denzel Valentine (fourth year, $3,377,569): Exercised

Cleveland Cavaliers

• Ante Zizic (third year, $2,281,800): Exercised

Dallas Mavericks

• Dennis Smith Jr. (third year, $4,463,640): Exercised

Denver Nuggets

• Jamal Murray (fourth year, $4,444,746): Exercised
• Juan Hernangomez (fourth year, $3,321,030): Exercised
• Malik Beasley (fourth year, $2,731,714): Exercised
• Tyler Lydon (third year, $2,190,720): Declined

Detroit Pistons

• Luke Kennard (third year, $3,827,160): Exercised
• Henry Ellenson (fourth year, $2,856,804): Declined

Golden State Warriors

• Damian Jones (fourth year, $2,305,057): Exercised

Houston Rockets

• Marquese Chriss (fourth year, $4,078,236): Declined

Indiana Pacers

• Domantas Sabonis (fourth year, $3,529,555): Exercised
• T.J. Leaf (third year, $2,813,280): Exercised

Los Angeles Clippers

• None

Los Angeles Lakers

• Lonzo Ball (third year, $8,719,320): Exercised
• Brandon Ingram (fourth year, $7,265,485): Exercised
• Kyle Kuzma (third year, $1,974,600): Exercised
• Josh Hart (third year, $1,934,160): Exercised

Memphis Grizzlies

• None

Miami Heat

• Bam Adebayo (third year, $3,454,080): Exercised

Milwaukee Bucks

• Thon Maker (fourth year, $3,569,643): Exercised
• D.J. Wilson (third year, $2,961,120): Exercised

Minnesota Timberwolves

• Justin Patton (third year, $3,117,240): Declined

New Orleans Pelicans

• None

New York Knicks

• Frank Ntilikina (third year, $4,855,800): Exercised

Oklahoma City Thunder

• Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot (fourth year, $2,529,684): Declined
• Terrance Ferguson (third year, $2,475,840): Exercised

Orlando Magic

• Jonathan Isaac (third year, $5,806,440): Exercised

Philadelphia 76ers

• Markelle Fultz (third year, $9,745,200): Exercised
• Ben Simmons (fourth year, $8,113,930): Exercised
• Dario Saric (fourth year, $3,481,986): Exercised
• Furkan Korkmaz (third year, $2,033,160): Declined

Phoenix Suns

• Josh Jackson (third year, $7,059,480): Exercised
• Dragan Bender (fourth year, $5,896,519): Declined

Portland Trail Blazers

• Zach Collins (third year, $4,240,200): Exercised
• Caleb Swanigan (third year, $2,033,160): Exercised

Sacramento Kings

• De’Aaron Fox (third year, $6,392,760): Exercised
• Buddy Hield (fourth year, $4,861,208): Exercised
• Justin Jackson (third year, $3,280,920): Exercised
• Harry Giles (third year, $2,578,800): Exercised
• Skal Labissiere (fourth year, $2,338,847): Exercised

San Antonio Spurs

• Jakob Poeltl (fourth year, $3,754,886): Exercised
• Dejounte Murray (fourth year, $2,321,735): Exercised
• Derrick White (third year, $1,948,080): Exercised

Toronto Raptors

• Malachi Richardson (fourth year, $2,581,597): Declined
• Pascal Siakam (fourth year, $2,351,839): Exercised
• OG Anunoby (third year, $2,281,800): Exercised

Utah Jazz

• Donovan Mitchell (third year, $3,635,760): Exercised
• Tony Bradley (third year, $1,962,360): Exercised

Washington Wizards

• None

Information from Basketball Insiders was used in the creation of this post. Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.