The Wizards and big man Kristaps Porzingis have engaged in “serious” discussions about a possible contract extension, reports Shams Charania of The Athletic.
Porzingis, who holds a $36MM player option for the 2023/24 season, is currently eligible for a veteran extension as long as he turns down that option as part of any agreement. In that scenario, his first-year salary would have to match or exceed his $36MM option salary.
If he were to decline the option, Porzingis would be eligible for an extension worth up to approximately $180MM over four years, beginning in ’23/24, as Charania observes. However, The Athletic’s report doesn’t make it clear exactly how high the Wizards are willing to go with their offer.
Porzingis is enjoying arguably his best season since entering the NBA in 2015. He has averaged 23.2 points, 8.4 rebounds, 2.7 assists, and 1.5 blocks in 32.6 minutes per game for the Wizards, with an impressive shooting line of .498/.385/.851. In addition to his increased production, the 27-year-old has avoided the injured list this year — his 65 games are the most he has played in a single season since 2016/17.
Despite Porzingis’ strong performance, the Wizards will likely finish in the lottery in the Eastern Conference. At 34-42, they’re currently 2.5 games back of Chicago for the East’s No. 10 seed with just six left to play.
The Wizards have reportedly shown interest in re-signing both Porzingis and forward Kyle Kuzma, who also holds a 2023/24 option that he’s unlikely to exercise. While Kuzma has also been productive in D.C., Josh Robbins of The Athletic questions whether it makes sense to double down on the team’s current core, given this year’s underwhelming record. Robbins notes that the price tags on new deals for Porzingis and Kuzma will go a long way toward determining the wisdom of investing in the duo.
Because players who sign veteran extensions are limited to 20% raises in the first year of their new deals, Kuzma will become a free agent rather than signing an extension between now and July. He’s earning just $13MM this season, so a 20% raise would result in a first-year salary of $15.6MM on an extension — he believes he can exceed that, though Charania says he and the Wizards have mutual interest in working something out in free agency.
Porzingis is earning $33.83MM this season, so his limit in the first year of an extension would be either 120% of that amount or the league-wide maximum salary for a player with between seven and nine years of NBA experience (whichever is lesser). Based on the NBA’s latest cap projections, that would mean a maximum salary of $40.2MM for Porzingis.
Sign and trade. Sell high. No version of this team is doing anything. Start collecting assets now and be grateful you go into the off-season high on people’s minds.
Agreed. They need to draft better as well.
Wizards are doing all they can to insure they will be a mediocre (at best) team for the rest of the decade.
Porzingis is going to exercise his player option. I don’t see another logical avenue for him. The market for KP is tepid at best.
His next contract is not going to be above $20M/year. Take the easy $36M is his only choice.
He’s going to get over $30M per easily. He’ll probably get close to $40M per. His numbers are outstanding and has carried the team when on the court. He’s certainly a risk for injury, but when healthy and on a good team, he could be the difference maker.
He’s been hurt EVERY SINGLE YEAR
Or …. Try and get an ext now when stock is up hence the article
Your first sentence totally contradicts the whole article .. did you read it ?
Can Beal Porzingis and Kuzma when a championship. I think not. But the surrounding pieces to see to be playing better but only one team wins. I don’t see them getting by Celtics or Bucks next year. But we shall see if zing works harder or just collects a paycheck like normal.
Buddy the Wizards aren’t making it past Indiana next year. That whole roster needs an overhaul. FO too
If they sign KP to a max contract, with Beal’s deal, it will be Wall and Westbrook all over again except they will have both albatrosses on their roster at the same time.
S&T KP and KK, trade Beal. I know the Wizards owner has said he is against tanking but I don’t see how it’s worse than missing or getting bounced from the play-in for the next half decade.
He is going to get a Turner style extension. I expect in time that will become the norm for many players.
The players get their real money and the teams gets the short term flexibility it needs.
That’s a take.
He literally took it easy the last 3 yrs and now that it’s extension time, he plays hard. LAME!!!
The cycle will repeat once he gets that extension. :(
He’s worth 25-30 bases on his injury history
Maybe they get lucky and pick in the top three in the draft, otherwise, the results won’t change.