Projecting 2023 NBA Player and Team Options

Keith Smith
Keith Smith, Resident NBA ExpertJune 14, 2023
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A handful of players got a jump on “option season” already. Danuel House Jr. of the Philadelphia 76ers and Otto Porter Jr. of the Toronto Raptors exercised their player options to return to their teams well ahead of their due dates. Fred VanVleet of the Raptors chose to decline his player option a few days ahead of his player option due date.

As a point of order, a player or team option isn’t really declined. It’s simply not exercised. A player must exercise, or opt in, to his option year, while a team must take the same action when they have control. The lone exception here is an Early Termination Option. For an ETO, a player must decline or opt out. No action would result in that player staying under contract.

With three decisions already made, we’re going to take a shot at predicting what happens with the remaining 40 player and team options.

Atlanta Hawks

No pending options

Boston Celtics

Danilo Gallinari - $6.8M player option

Gallinari is coming off a torn ACL that cost him the entirety of the 2022-23 season. He’s going to pick up this option and will hopefully debut for Boston this coming fall.

Mike Muscala - $3.5M team option

The Celtics are likely to pick up their option for Muscala and bring him back next season. They invested two second-round picks in a trade for him at the 2022 trade deadline. He’ll be back to provide depth up front in Boston.

Brooklyn Nets

No pending options

Charlotte Hornets

No pending options

Chicago Bulls

Andre Drummond - $3.4M player option

Drummond will reportedly pick his option up. That makes sense, as this is a bit more than he’d make on veteran minimum deal in free agency. He could also have a bigger role with Chicago, pending what happens with Nikola Vucevic.

Derrick Jones Jr. - $3.4M player option

Jones is in roughly the same boat as Drummond, and he’ll also reportedly pick up his option. Considering he’d probably get a veteran minimum deal elsewhere, picking up his option gets Jones a bit more money now.

Cleveland Cavaliers

Lamar Stevens - $1.9M team option

This one is a real decision. Stevens showed he can be an NBA rotation player next year, so the Cavs would love to keep him around. If they pick up their option, he’ll be an unrestricted free agent in 2024. There’s probably not enough of a worry to necessitate handing restricted free agency now. Stevens will be back on his minimum deal.

Dallas Mavericks

No pending options

Denver Nuggets

Bruce Brown - $6.8M player option

Brown is going to opt out. The real question: Will he stay in Denver? Following the Nuggets winning the title, Brown said he wants to stay. The challenge is Denver can only offer him $7.8 million using his Non-Bird rights. This could be a Bobby Portis in Milwaukee type of situation. Play one more year on an under-market deal, then the Nuggets take care of Brown with Early Bird rights in the summer of 2024.

Detroit Pistons

Alec Burks - $10.5M team option

The Pistons didn’t trade Burks at the deadline, because they valued his veteran game with their young team. It’s hard to imagine much has changed. Look for Detroit to pick up their option for Burks and for him to be a part of things…at least until next trade season.

Isaiah Livers - $1.8M team option

Livers has shown enough flashes that he should be back for the minimum. Detroit will pick this option up and Livers will get another chance to earn a rotation spot this summer and in camp.

Eugene Omoruyi - $1.9M team option

Omoruyi can play, but the Pistons will probably decline his option. That doesn’t mean he might not be back, but for now the roster spot and the cap space are more important for Detroit.

Golden State Warriors

Donte DiVincenzo - $4.7M player option

DiVincenzo got squeezed a bit in free agency, but made the most of it. He bounced back to have a very good year. The Warriors won’t be able to offer him much of a raise if he opts out, but DiVincenzo will probably test the market and see if there’s more out there for him this summer.

Draymond Green - $27.6M player option

Green is widely expected to opt out. The question is if he’ll re-sign with the Warriors or not. The best guess here is that Green opts out and re-signs on a long-term deal, but one that allows Golden State some flexibility at the end.

Houston Rockets

Kenyon Martin Jr. - $1.9M team option

 This one depends on what the Rockets overall free agency plans are. If they are continuing with the rebuild, they probably decline Martin’s option. That would allow them to control the process in restricted free agency, as they work out a long-term deal with Martin. If Houston is chasing veterans with their cap space, they should pick up Martin’s option as a cheaper depth player. He’ll be an unrestricted free agent in 2024 that way, but that’s a risk worth taking if using cap space on win-now players this summer.

Indiana Pacers

No pending options

LA Clippers

No pending options

Los Angeles Lakers

Malik Beasley - $16.5M team option

Beasley never really found a groove with the Lakers, but he’s still a good shooter/scorer off the bench. Los Angeles looks increasingly less likely to go the cap space route, which means they’ll pick up this option for Beasley. He can be a rotation guy next season and, if nothing else, a nice piece of salary-matching in a later trade.

Memphis Grizzlies

Xavier Tillman Sr. - $1.9M team option

This is another situation where declining the option makes the player a restricted free agent, while picking it up makes him unrestricted a year from now. Tillman is probably never going to be a primary target in free agency, so there’s no need worry about controlling his free agent process. Memphis should pick this option up and keep Tillman for frontcourt depth.

Miami Heat

Victor Oladipo - $9.5M player option

Oladipo will pick this option up. There was a point where that would have been just fine with the Heat. Then Oladipo suffered another serious knee injury. Now, that’s some money Miami will have to work around on their books in what looks like a very important summer of re-signings and other moves.

Milwaukee Bucks

Jevon Carter - $2.2M player option

Carter will likely opt out of this deal, as it’s less than he could make by signing for the veteran minimum. Carter could find more than that from a guard-needy team in free agency. At the very least, he can re-sign with the Bucks for the minimum and do this dance again next summer.

Khris Middleton - $40.4M player option

On one hand, $40.4M is a lot for Middleton to opt out of. This is even more true with the news that he underwent another knee surgery shortly after the season. On the other hand, Middleton is one of the better free agents available this summer. He’ll opt out and recoup this money by signing for less next season, but by adding several years on a new deal. The question: Will that be with the Bucks or someone else?

Minnesota Timberwolves

Nathan Knight - $1.9M team option

Knight is a handy depth piece, and not someone other teams will target in free agency. Much like Xavier Tillman Sr. in Memphis, the Wolves would be smart to pick up their option and worry about unrestricted free agency later.

New Orleans Pelicans

Willy Hernangomez - $2.6M team option

The Pelicans value Hernangomez as a stay-ready center option and as a locker room influence. New Orleans has no realistic shot at cap space, so there’s no reason to not bring back Hernangomez.

Herb Jones - $1.8M team option

Jones is in a bit of a weird spot. He’s worth WAY more than a minimum deal, as an All-Defense level of player. But the Pelicans don’t have to give him that right now. Given how expensive New Orleans’ roster already is, and the fact that Jones can still be a restricted free agent in 2024, look for the Pels to pick up this option and have Jones as one of the best values in the NBA next season.

Naji Marshall - $1.9M team option

Marshall is in a bit of a different spot than Jones. He’ll be unrestricted next summer if New Orleans picks up their option for him this year. He’s improved each year, so exposing him to unrestricted free agency is a bit of a risk. Look for the Pelicans to decline the option, make Marshall a restricted free agent this summer and then to work out a longer deal.

New York Knicks

Josh Hart - $12.9M player option

Hart has one of the NBA’s most unique contracts, in that he can opt in, but his deal then becomes fully non-guaranteed. It’s like an MLB mutual option. But that doesn’t really matter, as Hart has said he plans to opt out. That makes sense, as he’ll get more money and more years on a new deal.

Miles McBride - $1.8M team option

The Knicks will pick up this option for McBride and will bring him back for minimum money. He’s a good third point guard and he’s a value play for a roster that is starting to get expensive.

Derrick Rose - $15.6M team option

Luxury tax concerns will drive the decision to decline Rose’s option for New York. The Knicks are dancing around the tax line, and that’s before re-signing Hart, which they intend to do. That means Rose’s option will be declined. But he could always re-sign for far less money as a free agent, if New York thinks he has anything left.

Oklahoma City Thunder

Lindy Waters III - $1.9M team option

What the Thunder do with Waters’ team option will be a signal for their free agency plans. If they decline it, OKC is probably looking at using their cap space to sign or trade for someone. If they pick it up, they’ll let Waters go into training camp to fight for a spot on a roster that will add Chet Holmgren and another player through the draft.

Orlando Magic

Goga Bitadze - $2.1M team option

The Magic are looking at creating a good amount of cap space. They like Bitadze, but to maximize that space, they need to let him go. He could always return later in free agency.

Michael Carter-Williams - $3.1M team option

It was great to see Carter-Williams make his way back to the NBA after an ankle injury. Orlando might bring him back to compete for a roster spot in training camp, but that will come after declining this option.

Admiral Schofield - $1.9M team option

Schofield earned his callup from a two-way deal, but it may be somewhat short-lived. Again, because of cap space being a priority, Schofield will likely have his option declined. Like Bitadze and Carter-Williams, he could be back to fight for a roster spot in training camp.

Philadelphia 76ers

James Harden - $35.6M player option

Here we go again, but in very different circumstances. Harden pulled a bit of a surprise by opting out and taking less last summer to allow Philadelphia to sign some free agents. This time around, he’s going to opt out to get a max deal. Whether that comes from the Sixers or another team (Houston Rockets?) remains to be seen.

Montrezl Harrell - $2.7M player option

Harrell didn’t see much run for the 76ers. If he wants a bigger role, he’ll probably opt out and move on in free agency. Harrell would also make slightly more in actual salary by signing a new minimum deal with another team.

Phoenix Suns

Ishmail Wainright - $1.9M team option 

Wainright has been better than expected for the Suns. He’s a willing defender, and willing shooter. Unfortunately, he’s not much of a shot-maker. This is truly a 50-50 decision, as Phoenix needs depth and Wainright is at least an NBA-level guy. But the guess here is the Suns decline and take the roster spot for a veteran on the minimum.

Portland Trail Blazers

Kevin Knox - $3M team option

The Blazers won’t pick up Knox’s option. Either they are conserving wiggle room around the tax to put win-now players around Damian Lillard. Or Portland is rebuilding and won’t want the extra money for a non-rotation guy on the books.

Sacramento Kings

Kessler Edwards - $1.8M team option

Edwards will get caught up in which direction the Kings go. They can reasonably create over $21 million in cap space. That could be enough to be a player in free agency. If they plan to re-sign Harrison Barnes and stay over the cap, Edwards’ option probably gets picked up. We’re projecting the latter here.

San Antonio Spurs

No pending options

Toronto Raptors

Gary Trent Jr. - $18.6M player option

Trent is going to opt out and hit free agency as one of the best 3&D options available. He’s a great fit for any of the cap space teams, so look for him to cash in. Toronto could pivot towards a reset, if not rebuild, so Trent may not be a part of their plans either.

Utah Jazz

Jordan Clarkson - $14.3M player option

Clarkson is going to opt out, but that doesn’t mean his time in Utah is over. The Jazz like Clarkson quite a bit, and he enjoys being there. This would be about adding more years to his deal, as he begins his age-31 season.

Rudy Gay - $6.5M player option

Gay is going to pick up his option. He wouldn’t sniff as much money in free agency. Once he opts in, look for Utah to potentially have Gay in a trade package, as they continue rebuilding the roster.

Talen Horton-Tucker - $11M player option

Horton-Tucker could possibly get more by opting out, but it’s not a lock. He’s shown he can play a rotation role, but money is going to dry up quickly, especially for guys who are best in a combo-guard role off the bench. Look for Horton-Tucker to opt in and try to cash in next summer.

Damian Jones - $2.6M player option

Jones will opt in, because he’s a minimum salary guy either way. Might as well take the guaranteed money by opting in. Like Gay, he could be a part of trade packages for Utah.

Washington Wizards

Kyle Kuzma - $13M player option

Kuzma has far outplayed this contract, so he’ll opt out. With the Wizards possibly rebuilding, he’s probably moving on. That’s not a bad thing for Kuzma though, as he’ll be a highly sought-after player as a scoring combo-forward.

Kristaps Porzingis - $36M player option

This one is weird. Had Washington not moved to a new front office, Porzingis probably would have opted out and signed a long-term deal with the Wizards. The buzz now is that Porzingis may opt in and take the guaranteed big salary. At that point, it’s up the Wizards new decision-makers to trade him or not.

 


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