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Wolves To Decline Justin Patton’s Third-Year Option

October 31st, 2018 at 12:13pm CST by Luke Adams

The Timberwolves will pass on Justin Patton‘s third-year option for the 2019/20 season, putting the young center on track to become an unrestricted free agent next summer, according to Shams Charania and Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic (Twitter link).

Patton, 21, has been plagued by injuries since entering the NBA as the 16th overall pick in the 2017 draft. Acquired by the Timberwolves on draft night as part of their Jimmy Butler blockbuster with the Bulls, Patton broke his left foot in a workout before even getting a chance to play for Minnesota’s Summer League team.

After initially undergoing surgery on his left foot last July, Patton underwent a follow-up procedure in April, then broke a bone in his right foot in September and had surgery to repair that injury. As a result of his constant health problems, Patton has appeared in just one game for the Wolves, making his NBA debut on April 1. He played four minutes in that contest.

If Minnesota had exercised Patton’s 2019/20 option, it would have guaranteed his $3,117,240 cap hit for that season. By declining the option, the Wolves now won’t be permitted to offer a starting salary larger than that amount if they change course and want to retain the big man next July.

As our tracker shows, Patton is the fourth player confirmed to have his 2019/20 rookie scale option declined, joining Dragan Bender (Suns), Henry Ellenson (Pistons), and Malachi Richardson (Raptors). A handful of other players, including Marquese Chriss (Rockets) are also still at risk of having their options turned down.

Raptors Exercise 2019/20 Options On Siakam, Anunoby

October 31st, 2018 at 11:05am CST by Luke Adams

The Raptors have exercised their 2019/20 rookie scale options on forwards Pascal Siakam and OG Anunoby, the team has announced in a press release. We learned earlier today that the team would be passing on Malachi Richardson‘s ’19/20 option.

Siakam’s fourth-year option will count for just $2,351,839 on Toronto’s cap next season, while Anunoby’s third-year option is even more modest, coming in at $2,281,800. The Raptors may be over the tax line again next season if Kawhi Leonard re-signs, but exercising the options on Siakam and Anunoby was an easy decision for the team, given the on-court value the duo provides.

Siakam, the 27th overall pick in the 2016 draft, has started seven of the Raptors’ eight games this season and has looked better than ever, with 10.9 PPG, 7.0 RPG, 2.3 APG, and 1.3 SPG, plus a .594 FG%. Anunoby has missed a few games early in the season for personal reasons, but continues to develop into a reliable three-and-D wing.

The Raps will face more decisions on Siakam and Anunoby after July 1, 2019, when Siakam will become eligible for a rookie scale extension and the club will have the opportunity to pick up Anunoby’s fourth-year option for 2020/21.

Celtics Pick Up Options On Tatum, Brown, Yabusele

October 31st, 2018 at 10:52am CST by Luke Adams

The Celtics have picked up their 2019/20 team options on three players, according to an official announcement from the club (Twitter link). Jaylen Brown‘s fourth-year option has been exercised, as have the third-year options for Jayson Tatum and Guerschon Yabusele.

The decisions on Tatum and Brown come as no surprise. Tatum has looked like a rising star since being selected third overall in the 2017 draft, and the decision to lock in his $7,830,000 cap hit for 2019/20 was a no-brainer. Brown hasn’t flashed the same sort of star potential as his fellow No. 3 overall pick, but the starting shooting guard continues to improve on both ends of the court, and guaranteeing his $6,534,829 cap charge for next season was also an easy call for the Celtics.

Boston’s decision on Yabusele is a little more surprising. The former 16th overall pick has played in just 38 games for the Celtics since joining the team last season, and hasn’t made an impact, with 2.2 PPG and 1.5 RPG in 6.7 minutes per contest.

Al Horford, Aron Baynes, Robert Williams, Daniel Theis, and Semi Ojeleye are all in Boston’s frontcourt mix, and the team sometimes plays Tatum or Gordon Hayward at the four, leaving few opportunities for Yabusele. Nonetheless, the Celtics apparently still value him highly enough to lock in his $3,117,240 cap hit for 2019/20. The C’s will end up paying a higher price to retain Yabusele if they’re well over the tax line next season, as is expected.

All of the rookie scale option decisions for 2019/20 can be tracked right here.

Raptors To Decline Malachi Richardson’s Option

October 31st, 2018 at 7:57am CST by Luke Adams

The Raptors won’t pick up Malachi Richardson‘s fourth-year option for the 2019/20 season, reports Michael Scotto of The Athletic (via Twitter). The decision ensures that Richardson will become an unrestricted free agent during the summer of 2019.

Richardson, the 22nd overall pick in 2016, was acquired by the Kings on draft night and spent a season and a half in Sacramento before being sent to the Raptors at last season’s trade deadline. The former Syracuse standout was never able to establish a consistent role with the Kings and hasn’t played much in Toronto either, appearing in just six games for the club since February’s trade.

The $2,581,597 cap hit on Richardson’s 2019/20 option was modest, but every dollar will count for the Raptors, especially if they’re able to re-sign Kawhi Leonard — in that scenario, the team would almost certainly be in luxury tax territory, so replacing Richardson with a minimum-salary player would create substantial savings.

While the Raptors have yet to make an official announcement on 2019/20 rookie scale options, their other decisions are easy ones, as they’ll surely be picking up the options for Pascal Siakam and OG Anunoby.

Suns To Decline Dragan Bender’s 4th-Year Option

October 30th, 2018 at 6:04pm CST by ChrisCrouse

The Suns will decline Dragan Bender‘s fourth-year option, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.com reports. The move will free Phoenix of Bender’s $5.8MM salary that he would have received during the 2019/20 season.

“Of course I wish they picked up the option, but I am not going to let this stop me from reaching my goals,” Bender said. “I am 20, and I will keep working to be the best NBA player I can be and make it in this league whether it’s with Phoenix or another team.”

Bender was one of the top prospects in the 2016 Draft and one of the most heavily-scouted European prospects in recent memory. He was expected to form a young, up-and-coming frontcourt combo in Phoenix with fellow first-rounder Marquese Chriss. Chriss has since been traded to Houston and Bender has failed to live up to expectations.

Phoenix has the ability to re-sign Bender after the season, though the team would be limited to offering him a starting salary of $5.8MM. Woj notes that Bender playing with the Suns beyond this season is a “doubtful outcome.”

Pistons Exercise 2019/20 Option On Luke Kennard

October 30th, 2018 at 3:42pm CST by Luke Adams

The Pistons have picked up their 2019/20 team option on former lottery pick Luke Kennard, the team announced today in a press release. As a result, Detroit will carry a guaranteed cap hit of $3,827,160 on its books for Kennard next season.

Kennard, the 12th overall pick in the 2017 NBA draft, may never reach the level of the player selected one spot after him (Donovan Mitchell), but he’s developing into a reliable contributor for the Pistons. In 76 career games so far, Kennard has averaged 7.6 PPG with an impressive .416 3PT% in a part-time role.

Kennard’s option was one of two that the Pistons had to make a decision on by Wednesday, and it seems his will be the only one exercised. A report from earlier today indicated that Detroit has opted not to pick up Henry Ellenson‘s fourth-year option for 2019/20.

Wizards Sign Chasson Randle

October 30th, 2018 at 3:07pm CST by Luke Adams

3:07pm: The Wizards have officially signed Randle, the team announced today in a press release. As ESPN’s Bobby Marks outlines, Randle will earn $7,624 per day on his new minimum salary deal, which will increase Washington’s projected tax bill by $14,956 per day.

1:09pm: The Wizards intend to sign point guard Chasson Randle to an NBA contract, reports Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link). Randle was in camp with Washington this fall, but was waived by the club just before the regular season began. Two and a half weeks later, he’ll be re-added to the roster.

As we explained earlier today, NBA teams are generally required to carry at least 14 players on their 15-man regular season rosters, but league rules allow clubs to carry less than that amount for up to two weeks at a time. Because the Wizards only had 13 players on their roster for the first two weeks of the season, a transaction to add a 14th man was required.

Washington was considered likely to stay in-house to fill that roster spot, and it will be Randle who gets the call after having reported to the Wizards’ G League affiliate, the Capital City Go-Go. The 25-year-old last appeared in the NBA during the 2016/17 campaign, when he played eight games for the Sixers and 18 for the Knicks. He averaged 5.3 PPG and 1.3 APG in 11.5 minutes per game during his brief NBA stint.

While Randle will fill the Wizards’ 14th roster spot for now, he’s not locked in for the rest of the season. His new one-year contract will be non-guaranteed, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link). The league-wide salary guarantee date is January 10, so Randle will have to stick on the roster through that date in order to fully guarantee his salary.

Hornets Pick Up Malik Monk’s 2019/20 Option

October 30th, 2018 at 2:56pm CST by Luke Adams

The Hornets have formally exercised Malik Monk‘s third-year option for the 2019/20 campaign, the team announced today in a press release. The move, which was expected, guarantees Monk’s $4,028,400 cap hit for next season.

Monk, 20, joined the Hornets last year as the 11th overall pick in the 2017 draft. The former Kentucky standout averaged just 6.7 PPG on .360/.342/.842 shooting in 63 games as a rookie, but has seen an increased role in the early going this season. While Monk’s shooting percentages so far have been about the same as last year’s, he has bumped his scoring average to 11.0 PPG through six contests.

The Hornets’ next contract decision on Monk will be due a year from now, when the team will either exercise or decline his fourth-year option for 2020/21. Assuming that option is picked up, the young guard will become extension-eligible during the summer of 2020, and would be eligible for restricted free agency in 2021.

The full list of 2019/20 rookie scale option decisions can be found right here.

Bucks Exercise 2019/20 Options On Maker, Wilson

October 30th, 2018 at 2:35pm CST by Luke Adams

The Bucks have picked up the 2019/20 rookie scale options for former first-round picks Thon Maker and D.J. Wilson, according to Matt Velazquez of The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (via Twitter). Velazquez suggests that the Bucks “love” both players and consider them important parts of the club’s present and future.

Maker, the 10th overall pick in the 2016 draft, had a promising rookie season, but didn’t take a noticeable step forward in 2017/18 and has seen inconsistent minutes so far this season. Still, the 21-year-old big man has plenty of upside and his fourth-year option isn’t expensive, with a cap hit of $3,569,643, making the decision a fairly easy one for the Bucks.

The decision to pick up Wilson’s $2,961,120 third-year option is a little more surprising. The second-year forward played just 71 total minutes in his rookie season and hasn’t seen any action so far this season.

Wilson, the 17th pick in the 2017 draft, has been slowed by a hamstring issue this year, but it’s not clear if he’ll be part of the rotation even when he gets healthy, as there were rumblings during the preseason that he wasn’t even a lock for the regular season roster. However, the Bucks are apparently still high enough on him to guarantee his 2019/20 salary.

NBA teams must make their final decisions on rookie scale options for 2019/20 by Wednesday.

Warriors Pick Up Damian Jones’ 2019/20 Option

October 30th, 2018 at 1:26pm CST by Luke Adams

1:26pm: The Warriors have officially exercised Jones’ fourth-year option, the team confirmed today in a press release.

10:01am: The Warriors anticipate picking up their fourth-year team option on center Damian Jones, a league source tells Mark Medina of The Bay Area News Group. The team has until Wednesday’s deadline to make the move official.

Exercising Jones’ option would add $2,305,057 in guaranteed money to Golden State’s books for 2019/20. While that’s not a huge cap charge, it will likely be about $700K higher than the cap hit for a veteran’s minimum salary. That difference would increase the projected tax bill for a Warriors team that will be way over the luxury tax threshold if Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson return.

Still, it should be a worthwhile investment for the Warriors, who turned down Kevon Looney‘s rookie scale option a year ago and then watched him outperform his contract during the 2017/18 season. The Dubs were fortunate to retain Looney anyway, but they apparently don’t want to roll the dice again with Jones, who is off to a solid start in 2018/19. In eight games (all starts), the 23-year-old has averaged 6.0 PPG, 2.4 RPG, and 1.4 BPG with a league-high .778 FG%.

We’re tracking all of the 2019/20 rookie scale option decisions right here.