The Sixers have exercised their 2019/20 team options on Ben Simmons, Markelle Fultz, and Dario Saric, sources tell Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link). Those decisions, which were due on October 31, don’t come as any surprise.
Simmons’ fourth-year option will lock in his $8,113,930 cap hit for 2019/20, though it’s Fultz’s third-year option, worth $9,745,200, that is the priciest of the bunch. Saric’s fourth-year option is more modest, with a value of $3,481,986. In total, the three options will tack on about $21.34MM in guaranteed money to Philadelphia’s cap for next season.
Simmons and Saric are now on track to become eligible for rookie scale extensions during the 2019 offseason. The 76ers will have to make one more option decision on Fultz, with that decision on his 2020/21 option due a year from now.
Philadelphia must make one more rookie scale option decision by Wednesday, with Furkan Korkmaz‘s $2,033,160 third-year option for 2019/20 also outstanding. A recent report suggested that option was a good bet to be exercised, but if the team announces its decisions on the other three options without mentioning Korkmaz, that won’t bode well for him. The cap hit on his option wouldn’t be much higher than the minimum salary, but declining it would help the Sixers maximize their cap space.
We’re tracking all of the 2019/20 rookie scale option decisions right here.
It’s surprising korkmaz wasn’t picked up YET. It’s also surprising he isn’t in the rotation this yr. If shamet can get minutes…
They really haven’t developed this kid. He should be playing, the bench 3 is the most valuable asset you can have from a reserve player when your starter’s aren’t great 3-pt shooters. Shamet has shot 20 3’s so far, whereas Korkmaz fired off 27 all of last season. Both came in as 40% 3-pt shooters… let the shooters shoot. While I like TJ, time to trade him at peak value. They should not pay him next year. Take notes from Dellavedova.