Thunder power forward Patrick Patterson has decided to exercise his $5,711,200 player option for next season, Shams Charania of The Athletic tweets.
Patterson’s decision comes as no surprise, since he was highly unlikely to get a better offer on the open market. The 30-year-old Patterson averaged 3.6 PPG and 2.3 RPG in 13.7 MPG over 63 games, including five starts. He appeared in all 82 regular-season games the previous season with Oklahoma City, posting averages of 3.9 PPG and 2.4 RPG in 15.5 MPG.
Patterson lost his rotation spot in mid-February and did not appear in the opening-round series against Portland.
His decision will cost the Thunder far more than his salary. Oklahoma City is already over the luxury-tax threshold and Patterson’s salary will give it approximately $143.5MM in guaranteed commitments to just nine players, unless the Thunder are able to move some salaries in trades.
Waive and stretch? Attach a 2nd and try to trade for a lesser salary?
of course he did lol. he shouldn’t be in the league
He was good in Toronto. OKC and him are just not a fit.
It’s too bad because the fit made sense on paper, and the contract was reasonable at the time. I haven’t followed him closely but clearly it just didn’t click for some reason.
Was hoping he wouldn’t…..dude is unplayable in okc. Whatever game he had in Canada, was lost at the border.
Supposed to be one of the best FA values of 2017. Whoops