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Pistons To Decline Options On Garza, Edwards

The Pistons will not pick up the team options of center Luka Garza and guard Carsen Edwards, James Edwards III of The Athletic tweets.

The option on Garza, a second-r0und pick last season, is worth $1,563,518. The option figure for Edwards, who joined the Pistons late last season, is $1,815,677.

Edwards also confirms that Detroit will decline the $3,150,000 option on Frank Jackson‘s contract, which he previously reported was likely.

Technically, Detroit could make Garza and Edwards restricted free agents by extending qualifying offers, but that’s unlikely given the team could have retained either player at a low-cost figure. The Pistons are projected to have more cap space than any other team in free agency and these moves open up a little more room to make a splash.

Garza, who starred at Iowa, appeared in 32 games (five starts) last season, averaging 5.8 PPG and 3.1 RPG in 12.2 MPG. The addition of lottery pick Jalen Duren increased the possibility that Garza would be let go.

Edwards spent the bulk of last season in the G League before appearing in four games with Detroit in April.

Sixers Pick Up Shake Milton’s Team Option

JUNE 28: The Sixers have officially exercised Milton’s team option, tweets Kyle Neubeck of PhillyVoice.com.


JUNE 15: The Sixers are expected to exercise their team option on Shake Milton for 2022/23, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link). If and when it’s officially picked up, the option will lock in Milton’s $1,997,718 salary for next season.

The 54th overall pick in the 2018 draft, Milton has spent his first four NBA seasons in Philadelphia and has been a regular contributor for the last three years. After averaging 13.0 PPG and 3.1 APG on .450/.350/.830 shooting in 63 games (23.2 MPG) in 2020/21, Milton took a step backward this past season, as his numbers dipped to 8.2 PPG and 2.5 APG on .429/.323/.836 shooting.

Still, based on his NBA résumé to date, Milton is a relative bargain on what is essentially a minimum-salary contract. So it came as a bit of a surprise when Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer wrote earlier today of a belief around the league that the 76ers would decline his ’22/23 option. Scotto’s report suggests that belief is misguided.

Pompey’s story was especially perplexing because declining Milton’s option would make him ineligible to be traded outside of a sign-and-trade structure, and Pompey’s sources indicated the team has been gauging the 25-year-old’s value on the trade market. Milton would be trade-eligible once his option is officially exercised.

Team option decisions for 2022/23 are due by June 29. Our tracker can be found right here.

Hornets Pick Up Jalen McDaniels’ 2022/23 Option

The Hornets have exercised their team option on forward Jalen McDaniels for the 2022/23 season, per Keith Smith of Spotrac (Twitter link). The option is worth $1,930,681.

[RELATED: NBA Team Option Decisions For 2022/23]

The decision doesn’t technically lock in that $1.93MM salary for McDaniels, since his contract remains non-guaranteed even with the option picked up. But as long as the 24-year-old remains under contract through August 1, he’ll receive his full guarantee.

A former second-round pick, McDaniels has emerged as a regular part of Charlotte’s rotation over the last two seasons. He has averaged 6.7 PPG and 3.3 RPG on .476/.357/.721 shooting in 102 games (17.6 MPG) during that time.

Assuming McDaniels plays out the ’22/23 season on his current deal, he’ll become eligible for unrestricted free agency next summer.

While the Hornets have no other outstanding player or team option decisions looming, the club will have some decisions to make on players without fully guaranteed contracts. Like McDaniels, big man Nick Richards has a non-guaranteed salary ($1.78MM) for next season, while only $5MM of Kelly Oubre‘s $12.6MM salary is guaranteed.

Pistons Exercise Diallo’s Option, Likely To Decline Jackson’s

JUNE 28, 9:03am: The Pistons have officially exercised Diallo’s option in advance of today’s deadline, tweets Smith.


JUNE 27, 8:48am: The Pistons will likely pick up their team option on wing Hamidou Diallo for the 2022/23 season, sources tell James L. Edwards III of The Athletic (Twitter link). Exercising that option would lock in Diallo’s $5.2MM salary for ’22/23.

After spending the first two-and-a-half seasons of his career in Oklahoma City, Diallo has emerged as a regular part of the Pistons’ rotation since being traded to Detroit at the 2021 deadline. In 2021/22, he averaged 11.0 PPG, 4.8 RPG, and 1.2 SPG on .496/.247/.650 shooting in 58 games (21.9 MPG).

While turning down Diallo’s option would help the Pistons maximize their cap room, the team likes his athleticism and versatility, and his $5.2MM option salary isn’t exorbitant. Keith Smith of Spotrac (Twitter link) estimates Detroit would still have over $40MM in cap space even with Diallo on the books.

While Diallo’s option looks like a good bet to be exercised, the Pistons are unlikely to pick up Frank Jackson‘s team option, according to Edwards and Will Guillory of The Athletic. That option would pay Jackson a $3.15MM salary for 2022/23.

[RELATED: NBA Team Option Decisions For 2022/23]

A 2017 second-round pick who is still just 24 years old, Jackson appeared in 53 games for Detroit this past season, averaging a career-high 10.6 points in 22.0 minutes per contest. However, his efficiency numbers (.402 FG%, .308 3PT%) left something to be desired.

Jackson would become an unrestricted free agent if the Pistons decline his option.

The Pistons must officially finalize decisions on Diallo’s and Jackson’s options, as well as Luka Garza‘s team option, by Tuesday. The deadline for Carsen Edwards‘ team option is Wednesday.

David McCormack To Sign Exhibit 10 Deal With Timberwolves

Undrafted Kansas big man David McCormack has agreed to join the Timberwolves for summer league and training camp, agent Gary Durrant tells Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link). Zac Boyer of KUSports.com confirms McCormack will be signing an Exhibit 10 contract.

McCormack, a member of the Jayhawks’ championship team this year, spent all four of his college seasons at Kansas, starting 96 of 132 total games. In 2021/22, he averaged 10.6 PPG and 7.0 RPG in 40 contests (21.9 MPG).

McCormack had some big games during the Jayhawks’ NCAA tournament run, putting up 25 points and nine rebounds in the team’s Final Four victory over Villanova, then registering a double-double (15 points and 10 rebounds) in the championship game vs. UNC.

Speaking to Boyer, McCormack said he chose the Timberwolves over offers from other NBA teams because he believes he’ll fit well in their system and he felt comfortable with the club when he worked out in Minnesota last month.

An Exhibit 10 contract is a non-guaranteed, minimum-salary contract that can be converted into a two-way deal before the regular season begins. If a player on an Exhibit 10 is waived and becomes an affiliate player for his team’s G League squad – in this case, the Iowa Wolves – he’s eligible to receive a bonus worth up to $50K.

Minnesota also reportedly reached an Exhibit 10 agreement with forward Phillip Wheeler.

Kyrie Irving Opts In To Final Year Of Contract

10:30pm: Irving has officially opted in, according to RealGM’s transactions log.


5:50pm: Kyrie Irving has decided to opt in to his contract for 2022/23, Shams Charania of The Athletic tweets. By exercising the $36.9MM option, Irving is bypassing multiple opt-in-and-trade scenarios in order to fulfill his four-year commitment to the Nets and Kevin Durant, according to Charania (Twitter links).

Irving is entering the final year of his four-year, $136.5MM deal.

“Normal people keep the world going, but those who dare to be different lead us into tomorrow,” Irving said in a statement. “I’ve made my decision to opt in. See you in the fall. A11even.”

By exercising his option, Irving is now both extension- and trade-eligible, though it doesn’t sounds as if either is happening in coordination with the opt-in. The seven-time All-Star will remain extension-eligible up until next June 30 and could tack on up to four years to his expiring deal.

If Irving signs an extension exceeding two years, he would become ineligible to be traded for the next six months; if he’s traded, he would be ineligible to sign an extension longer than two years for the next six months.

Irving’s contract option technically has a base value of about $36.5MM, but the cap hit is $36.9MM due to likely incentives, and it can go as high as $37.7MM if he reaches all his incentives.

The opt-in closes the door on the possibility of Irving of taking a massive pay cut and signing with a new team, such as the Lakers, for the mid-level exception. However, it’s unlikely the drama surrounding Kyrie will end any time soon — since he’s now on track for unrestricted free agency in 2023, he could reemerge as a trade candidate within the next year if he and the Nets don’t agree to an extension.

The Nets, who were reportedly unwilling to offer Irving a long-term contract, have been playing hardball in negotiations with the 30-year-old and essentially threw it in his lap to find a viable sign-and-trade scenario. He was unable to do so, which has led him to exercising the option, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN tweets. Irving had until 5:00 pm ET on Wednesday to officially make a decision on that option.

Earlier in the day, it was reported that the Lakers were the only team willing to engage in serious sign-and-trade talks with Brooklyn and they lacked attractive pieces to ship back to the Nets in a potential deal.

With Irving’s future up in the air during the last week, multiple reports indicated that Durant was also mulling his options. But with Irving seemingly on track to return to the Nets for next season, Durant presumably won’t be looking for an exit ramp out of Brooklyn.

Kellan Grady Signs Exhibit 10 Contract With Nuggets

JULY 9: Grady has officially signed his Exhibit 10 contract with Denver, according to RealGM’s transactions log.


JUNE 27: Undrafted Kentucky guard Kellan Grady is signing an Exhibit 10 contract with the Nuggets, according to Kyle Tucker of The Athletic (Twitter link).

Grady spent his first four college seasons at Davidson and was the team’s primary offensive weapon across those four years, averaging 17.4 PPG with a .366 3PT% in 115 games. He transferred to Kentucky for his “super-senior” year in 2021/22 and averaged 11.4 PPG with a .415 3PT% in his 34 games (32.9 MPG) as a Wildcat.

An Exhibit 10 contract is a non-guaranteed minimum salary contract that makes the player eligible for a bonus worth up to $50K if he’s waived before the regular season begins and then joins his team’s G League affiliate. It can also be converted into a two-way deal before the season.

The Nuggets have now reportedly reached Exhibit 10 agreements with two undrafted free agents: Grady and Adonis Arms. Those signings can become official after the NBA’s new league year begins on Friday.

Javante McCoy To Sign Exhibit 10 Deal With Lakers

Rookie free agent guard Javante McCoy will sign an Exhibit 10 contract with the Lakers after going undrafted, he tells freelance reporter Greg Levinsky (Twitter link).

McCoy spent all five years of his college career at Boston University, starting 138 of the 147 games he played for the program. In 2021/22, he averaged 17.4 PPG, 3.9 RPG, and 2.9 APG on .495/.425/.708 shooting in 34 contests (34.0 MPG).

An Exhibit 10 contract is a non-guaranteed deal that doesn’t count against a team’s cap unless the player makes the regular season roster. It can be converted into a two-way deal and also makes a player eligible for a bonus worth up to $50K if he’s waived and then joins his team’s G League affiliate.

Undrafted Houston rookie Fabian White also reportedly agreed to an Exhibit 10 deal with the Lakers.

Pistons Signing Stanley Umude To Exhibit 10 Contract

After going undrafted last Thursday, rookie free agent Stanley Umude has agreed to sign an Exhibit 10 contract with the Pistons, sources tell Jon Chepkevich of Rookie Scale (Twitter link).

A 6’6″ shooting guard, Umude spent his first four college seasons at South Dakota from 2017-21, averaging 21.6 PPG, 7.0 RPG, and 3.0 APG as a senior in ’20/21.

He transferred to Arkansas for his “super-senior” season last year and played more of a complementary role for the Razorbacks, putting up 11.9 PPG, 4.6 RPG, and 1.1 APG on .460/.371/.724 shooting in 37 games (27.8 MPG).

Umude is the second undrafted rookie reported to have reached a contract agreement with the Pistons, joining Buddy Boeheim.

While Boeheim is said to have agreed to a two-way deal, Umude’s Exhibit 10 contract will be a non-guaranteed pact that makes him eligible for a bonus of up to $50K if he’s waived before the season and joins Detroit’s G League team, the Motor City Cruise, as an affiliate player. An Exhibit 10 deal can also be converted into a two-way contract before the start of the season.

Pacers Will Sign Fanbo Zeng To Exhibit 10 Deal

10:34pm: Zeng will receive an Exhibit 10 contract, tweets James Boyd of The Indianapolis Star. Zeng had a pre-draft workout with the Pacers on June 8.


8:28pm: Fanbo Zeng, a Chinese forward who played for G League Ignite this season, will sign with the Pacers, tweets Shams Charania of The Athletic. Charania doesn’t offer specifics on the type of contract Zeng will receive, but he is expected to join the team for the Las Vegas Summer League.

Zeng appeared in nine G League games this season, averaging 3.8 points and 1.4 rebounds in 13.2 minutes per night. He originally committed to play at Gonzaga, but he changed his mind last year and opted for the Ignite.

Listed at 6’11” and 190 pounds, Zeng is ranked 30th on ESPN’s list of the best undrafted players.