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Pelicans Decline Options On Jones, Hernangomez; Will Make Hayes UFA

June 29th, 2023 at 4:29pm CST by Rory Maher

The Pelicans are declining their team options on Herbert Jones and Willy Hernangomez and opted against issuing a qualifying offer to Jaxson Hayes, according to reports from Shams Charania of The Athletic (via Twitter) and Christian Clark of NOLA.com (Twitter link).

Declining Jones’ $1.84MM option makes him a restricted free agent and the two sides plan to discuss a long-term contract, per Charania. The move is a little odd though, because he would have been a restricted free agent in 2024 even if the Pelicans had picked up the option.

Since he just finished his second season, New Orleans will only have Jones’ Early Bird rights, so he’ll be an Arenas provision restricted free agent, the same as Lakers guard Austin Reaves. It seems likely that the Pelicans have a good sense of what he might sign for by going this route, though they’ll be limited in what they can offer him outright.

Jones has made a major impact for the Pelicans after being selected 35th overall two years ago, averaging 9.7 PPG, 3.9 RPG, 2.3 APG and 1.6 SPG on .473/.336/.802 shooting in 144 games (135 starts, 29.8 MPG). He’s a top-tier defender, earning All-Defensive votes as a rookie.

Unlike Jones, Hernangomez and Hayes are headed for unrestricted free agency. Both centers were reserves in ’22/23, receiving situational minutes but not much more.

Hernangomez, 29, just completed his seventh season, having made previous stops with the Knicks and Hornets. He averaged 6.9 PPG and 4.7 RPG in 38 games last season (12.1 MPG) and is reportedly a positive locker room presence.

Hayes, meanwhile, has mostly disappointed after being picked eighth overall in 2019, averaging just 5.0 PPG and 2.8 RPG in 47 games (13.0 MPG) in ’22/23. He’s still only 23, is a strong athlete, and there are a dearth of big men on the market, so he could be a buy-low candidate in free agency.

Josh Hart Picking Up Player Option With Knicks

June 29th, 2023 at 4:14pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Veteran Knicks swingman Josh Hart is picking up his $12.9MM player option for the 2023/24 season and will return to New York, sources inform Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).

Per Ian Begley of SNY.tv (via Twitter), the 6’5″ small forward will now be eligible for a four-year extension worth over $80MM starting in August.

Hart has enjoyed a well-traveled journeyman career as a 3-and-D wing, having played for four clubs in his six NBA seasons. He was selected with the No. 30 pick out of Villanova in 2017, and spent his first two seasons with the Lakers as an intriguing reserve. He was included as a portion of the trade package that sent Anthony Davis to Los Angeles from the Pelicans. New Orleans then flipped him to Portland in during the 2021/22 season.

The 28-year-old was flipped to the Knicks by the Trail Blazers in 2022/23, and emerged as a critical two-way piece on a solid 47-35 Eastern Conference playoff club.

Across his 25 regular season contests with New York, Hart averaged 10.2 PPG on .586/.519/.789 shooting splits, along with 7.0 RPG, 3.6 APG, 1.4 SPG, and 0.5 BPG.

During his first-ever playoffs this spring, Hart averaged comparable numbers, though his shooting efficiency took a major hit while he exerted himself defensively against tougher competition.

He logged postseason averages of 10.4 PPG on .479/.313/.636 shooting splits, 7.4 RPG, 2.2 APG and 0.8 SPG in 11 games with New York, including five starts.

James Harden Picking Up Option, Working With Sixers On Trade

June 29th, 2023 at 3:50pm CST by Luke Adams

Sixers star James Harden has decided to exercise his $35.6MM player option for 2023/24, but he doesn’t intend to return to Philadelphia, reports Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link). According to Charania, the plan is for Harden to work together with the 76ers to find him a new home via trade.

Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link) confirms that Philadelphia and Harden have begun to explore trade scenarios, adding that the expectation is that the 10-time All-Star has played his last game as a Sixer.

The news comes as a major surprise. For several months, Harden’s anticipated free agency was considered likely to be a battle between the Sixers and his former team, the Rockets.

Within the last week or two, Philadelphia had seemingly emerged as a clear frontrunner based on reporting from several outlets. However, the 33-year-old won’t actually reach free agency after all, opting into the second season of his two-year deal with the 76ers in order to make it easier to trade him.

The Clippers have expressed interest in acquiring Harden, a league source tells Kyle Neubeck of PhillyVoice.com (Twitter link). Wojnarowski (Twitter link) confirms L.A.’s interest and says the Knicks are also expected to engage in trade conversations with the Sixers.

The Clippers, armed with several movable contracts and a long-standing desire to add a backcourt play-maker, are an intriguing potential trade partner for Philadelphia. According to Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link), Los Angeles – which has been gauging the trade market for Marcus Morris and Norman Powell – have also inquired about Sixers forward Tobias Harris.

The Knicks, meanwhile, also possess a handful of tradable contracts, including Evan Fournier‘s expiring $18.9MM deal, and control several extra future first-round picks.

Still, Chris Mannix of SI.com (Twitter link) cautions that the Clippers and Knicks won’t be Harden’s only suitors. Philadelphia is already casting a “wide net,” according to Mannix, who says the club will be seeking a package of players who can fit alongside reigning MVP Joel Embiid.

The Rockets could make a play for Harden via trade if they so choose, but they’ve seemingly shifted their focus to free agent point guard Fred VanVleet, and Harden is focused on a move to a contender, according to Wojnarowski.

Although Harden missed out on All-Star honors this year for the first time since 2012, he still posted strong numbers during the regular season, averaging 21.0 points, a league-leading 10.7 assists, and 6.1 rebounds per game with a .441/.385/.867 shooting line in 58 appearances (36.8 MPG). He was expected to be among the top free agents available this weekend if he had opted out.

Because Harden is on a two-year contract, he won’t be eligible to sign an extension before he reaches unrestricted free agency in 2024. If he’s moved, he’ll be playing for his fourth team in four years. He was dealt from Houston to Brooklyn in January 2021 and from Brooklyn to Philadelphia in February 2022.

Lakers To Decline Malik Beasley’s Team Option

June 29th, 2023 at 3:31pm CST by Rory Maher

In addition to waiving Mohamed Bamba before his salary became guaranteed, the Lakers also won’t exercise their team option on Malik Beasley for 2023/24, making him an unrestricted free agent, league sources tell Dave McMenamin of ESPN (Twitter link).

However, a reunion could still be in the works. As ESPN’s Bobby Marks tweets, the Lakers will retain Beasley’s Bird rights, and McMenamin reports that the Lakers plan to keep in touch with both players, with new contracts a possibility. Los Angeles will lose Bamba’s Bird rights after waiving him.

As our team option tracker shows, Beasley’s option was worth $16,524,106. He didn’t play up to that type of contract in ’22/23, so it’s not a surprise that it will be declined, though there was some thought that it might be exercised in order to explore sign-and-trade scenarios.

A long-range shooting specialist who holds a career mark of 37.8% from deep, Beasley shot just 35.7% last season, including 35.3% with the Lakers. He was acquired from Utah at the trade deadline in the deal involving Russell Westbrook.

Overall, the 26-year-old appeared in 81 games last season, including 27 starts (25.8 MPG). The Lakers had hoped he would provide an offensive jolt, but his numbers declined with L.A. and he was a non-factor in the postseason, appearing in 11 games while shooting 26.9% from three in 8.3 MPG.

While Beasley is an extremely streaky shooter who doesn’t bring a whole lot else to the table, he did shoot 38.9% from beyond the arc in 252 games from 2018-2022. That, combined with his age, should make him a popular target in free agency.

Knicks Exercising Team Option On Miles McBride

June 29th, 2023 at 3:21pm CST by Rory Maher

The Knicks are exercising their $1.84MM team option on Miles McBride for 2023/24, league sources tell Fred Katz of The Athletic (Twitter link).

The 36th pick of the 2021 draft after two years at West Virginia, McBride just finished his second NBA season, both with the Knicks. The 22-year-old point guard had a limited role in ’22/23, averaging 3.5 PPG on .358/.299/.667 shooting in 64 games (11.9 MPG).

However, McBride is an excellent defensive player who makes a real difference on that end of the court, so it’s not surprising that his minimum-salary option was exercised. As our team option tracker shows, the Knicks previously declined their option on Derrick Rose‘s contract, making him an unrestricted free agent.

Bulls’ Andre Drummond Opts In For 2023/24

June 29th, 2023 at 3:10pm CST by Luke Adams

Bulls center Andre Drummond has exercised his player option for 2023/24, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link). The move will guarantee Drummond a $3.36MM salary for next season.

Drummond, who will turn 30 in August, put up big numbers on a per-minute basis as a reserve center for the Bulls in 2022/23, averaging 6.0 points and 6.6 rebounds in just 12.7 minutes per game (67 games).

However, for the first time in his 11-year NBA career, Drummond didn’t make a single start, playing a limited role behind primary center Nikola Vucevic. His scoring and rebounding averages were career lows, as were his 12.7 minutes per night.

While Drummond might be the NBA’s best rebounder and can certainly score around the basket, the rest of his offensive game is limited, and he’s not a mobile defensive player or an elite rim protector. Once a maximum-salary player, the two-time All-Star presumably determined that he wasn’t assured of topping a $3.36MM guarantee on the open market and chose the safety of the opt-in.

It’s unclear whether Drummond remains in Chicago’s plans for 2023/24 or whether the team will look to trade his expiring contract. A report on Thursday morning indicated that the Mavericks were eyeing the veteran center, but Marc Stein later clarified (via Twitter) that Dallas’ interest was contingent on a separate trade that hadn’t happened yet.

Drummond is one of two Bulls veterans who had player option decisions to make this month. While the big man is picking up his $3.36MM option, Derrick Jones elected to turn down an identical $3.36MM option of his own.

Lakers Waiving Mohamed Bamba

June 29th, 2023 at 3:07pm CST by Luke Adams

The Lakers have decided to waive Mohamed Bamba before his $10.3MM salary for the 2023/24 season becomes guaranteed, reports Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link).

The sixth overall pick in the 2018 draft, Bamba spent his first four-and-a-half NBA seasons in Orlando before being dealt to the Lakers ahead of the 2023 trade deadline.

Although he has flashed the ability to stretch the floor and protect the rim, Bamba saw his role with the Magic decline after the team added Wendell Carter and Paolo Banchero, and played a limited role in Los Angeles before spraining his ankle in March.

In total, Bamba appeared in 49 games in 2022/23, averaging 6.6 points and 4.6 rebounds in 15.7 minutes per contest. He posted a shooting line of .485/.387/.661.

Bamba is still just 25 years old and may have untapped upside, but it didn’t make sense for the Lakers to retain him at a price of $10MM+. Cutting him will give Los Angeles some extra cap flexibility entering a crucial offseason and may open the door for the club to use the full, non-taxpayer version of the mid-level exception.

Pelicans To Exercise Team Option On Naji Marshall

June 29th, 2023 at 1:34pm CST by Rory Maher

The Pelicans plan to exercise their $1.93MM team option on Naji Marshall, keeping him on the roster for 2023/24, reports Will Guillory of The Athletic (Twitter link).

Marshall went undrafted in 2020 out of Xavier, originally signing a two-way contract with the Pelicans that was later converted into a standard deal. A hard-nosed defensive player, the 25-year-old small forward was rotation regular in his third season in ’22/23, averaging 9.1 PPG, 3.6 RPG and 2.5 APG on .433/.303/.789 shooting in 77 games (21 starts, 23.3 MPG).

Once his option is officially picked up, Marshall will be on track for unrestricted free agency in 2024. We’re still awaiting team option decisions on center Willy Hernangomez and guard/forward Herbert Jones, as our tracker shows.

Rockets Waiving Daishen Nix

June 29th, 2023 at 12:57pm CST by Luke Adams

The Rockets are waiving guard Daishen Nix, according to Kelly Iko of The Athletic (Twitter link).

The move is a money-saving one for the Rockets, who would’ve been on the hook for Nix’s full $1,836,096 salary if he had remained on the roster beyond today, as our list of early salary guarantee dates shows.

Nix, 21, signed with the Rockets after going undrafted in 2021 and appeared in 81 games for the club over the last two seasons. He didn’t make a significant impact at the NBA level during that time, averaging a modest 3.7 PPG and 2.1 APG on .355/.283/.606 shooting in 14.5 MPG.

Nix did flash some potential in the G League in 2021/22, putting up 20.6 PPG, 7.7 APG, and 5.9 RPG on .486/.400/.592 shooting in 18 regular season appearances (34.2 MPG) for the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, Houston’s NBAGL affiliate.

Nix’s contract included a team option for the 2024/25 season, but it was also non-guaranteed, so the Rockets won’t owe him any additional money once they officially waive him. He’ll become an unrestricted free agent if he clears waivers on Saturday.

Jazz’s Jordan Clarkson To Pick Up Player Option

June 29th, 2023 at 11:56am CST by Rory Maher

Jazz guard Jordan Clarkson intends to exercise his $14.26MM player option for 2023/24, avoiding free agency and keeping him off the open market, league sources tell Sarah Todd of The Deseret News (Twitter link).

As Todd notes, by picking up his option, Clarkson would become extension-eligible immediately. He was eligible for an in-season extension in ’22/23 as well, and multiple reports said that scenario was discussed.

However, Clarkson can earn more money on a potential extension in a couple days due to a change in the new CBA, which allows veterans to receive 140% of their current salary in the first year of an extension instead of 120%. If the Jazz don’t make further roster additions in free agency, it’s possible they could use some of their cap space to renegotiate and extend Clarkson, which would give him a higher base salary in year one with a declining structure in subsequent seasons. That’s what the Pacers and Myles Turner did during the season.

Clarkson, who turned 31 earlier this month, averaged career highs in multiple categories in 2022/23, including points (20.8), assists (4.4), rebounds (4.0; tied with two other seasons) and minutes per game (32.6) in 61 contests, all starts. His overall shooting slash line of .444/.338/.816 was very close to his career averages (.440/.338/.826), but his efficiency was up a tick because he attempted more three-pointers and free throws.

While Clarkson can score on anyone, he’s also a poor defensive player and over 30, which limits his upside. Hoping to reach an extension makes sense if he’s comfortable in Utah, though it’s worth noting that he’ll be trade-eligible after opting in. If he signs an extension that places him under contract for more than three total seasons, includes a raise greater than 5%, or includes a renegotiation, he’ll become ineligible to be dealt for six months.

The Jazz also decided to keep big man Kelly Olynyk, whose $12.2MM contract for ’23/24 was only partially guaranteed at $3MM. Since he wasn’t waived last night, his contract is now fully guaranteed. The news was expected, as GM Justin Zanik said after the season ended that he anticipated having Olynyk back.

The full list of player option decisions for 2023/24 can be found right here.