Pistons swingman Tony Snell is exercising his player option for the 2020/21 season, sources tell James Edwards III of The Athletic (Twitter link). The move comes as no surprise, since Snell was extremely unlikely to match his $12.2MM option salary on the open market.
Snell, who turned 29 last Tuesday, appeared in 59 games for the Pistons in 2019/20, averaging 8.0 PPG, 2.2 APG, and 1.9 RPG in 57 starts (27.8 MPG). He also made over 40% of his three-point attempts for the third time in four seasons, finishing with a .402 3PT%.
The move will keep Snell under contract with the Pistons for the time being, though the team may consider shopping his expiring deal in trade talks this fall. Assuming he plays out the season on his current contract, he’ll reach the unrestricted free agent market in 2021.
Since Snell had always been expected to opt in, his decision doesn’t affect the Pistons’ cap projections. The team should have at least $25-30MM available to work with this offseason.
Wow big surprise there!
Slowest release in the NBA, maybe in history. Always looks like a slow-mo instant replay when he shoots.