How player options shape the NBA rosters

There used to be a time when the star of your favourite team would spend their entire career with that one team. If not, they certainly played the majority of their career and prime with one team. High profile examples of this are players like Tim Duncan and David Robinson of the Spurs. Magic Johnson was and always will be a Los Angeles Laker. The same principle applies with greats like Larry Bird in Boston and Isiah Thomas in Detroit.

Many fans will remember the maximum 7-year-deals players could sign in the mid to late 1990’s and early 2000’s like Shaquille O’Neal signed with the Los Angeles Lakers for 7 years $121 million dollars in 1996. In recent years, NBA general managers have had to be at their creative best to keep their rosters competitive because of all the player movement with star players now signing short three-year-deals. General managers in the NBA have short windows to keep their star players happy.

One contractual clause that must really have general managers nauseous is the player option. Granted general managers benefit when they can get a player to sign a contract containing a team option giving the manager the control. However, in recent years the player option has destroyed any chance certain franchises have of making a turn around in fortunes. In some cases, those franchises just made bad decisions leading to the loss of a star talent and in others it just feels like some players are holding the franchise hostage.

One example of how the player option can be mutually beneficially to the team and player was the Dirk Nowitzki player opt out in 2010 and re-signing with the Mavericks on a 4 years $80 million dollar contract. Nowitzki left money on the table which would help Mavericks fill out the roster. Nowitzki could have demanded a 4 year $96 million dollar contract back then.

Right now, general managers like Dell Demps of the Pelicans, Bobby Webster of the Toronto Raptors, Elton Brand of the 76ers and even Kolby Altman with the Cavaliers are now facing the future or will be very soon minus a superstar potentially. The following four contracts will illustrate how the player option has NBA general managers nervous.

#4 Anthony Davis: 5 years $145 million dollar contract Opt out June 2019

Anthony Davis is an all-star. He is even an MVP candidate. However, the New Orleans Pelicans have a poor record at 17-22 and are the second worst team in the NBA’s Western Conference. Davis for his part is a five-time all-star, an all-star game MVP and a 3 time blocked shots leader. In his 7th season he has led the Pelicans to the playoffs twice and as recently as 2018. However, with players like LeBron James and Giannis Antetokounmpo expressing interest in playing alongside Davis in Los Angeles or Milwaukee how can Pelicans general manager Dell Demps sit idly by let the trade deadline pass and hope AD honours the remaining two years on his contract? The odds say Demps has to make a trade and move on or the alternative is a huge hole in the roster if AD opts out becoming a free agent and leaves with nothing returning to New Orleans.

#3 Kawhi Leonard: 5 year $90 million dollar contract Opt Out June 2019

The Toronto Raptors made a game-changing deal in the summer of 2018 when they acquired top-five talent in Kawhi Leonard and veteran Danny Green for DeMar DeRozan, Jacob Poeltl and a 1st round draft pick. The upside is Leonard, when healthy, is an MVP quality type player and has won an NBA championship in San Antonio along-side Danny Green. Leonard was also the MVP in that NBA championship back in 2014.

The problem with the deal was after missing 73 games last year the Raptors had no guarantee Leonard would return to form of previous seasons and even want to play in Toronto in the here and now much less the future. For his part, Kawhi Leonard has been spectacular in Toronto. In 31 games this season he has recorded a scoring average of 27.1 points, 2.9 assists and 8 rebounds per game. He is shooting 49.9% from the field.

However, star point guard Kyle Lowry is missing games and already is 32 years old and struggling through back troubles right now. Should Leonard opt out of his contract, the Raptors will have a humongous roster spot to fill come July 1st, 2019 if they cannot convince Leonard to come back. Further hampering the hopes for the Raptors is that Toronto has never been a hot bed destination for top NBA free agents. The Raptors greatest free agent signings are quite possibly Hedo Turkoglu and DeMarre Carroll.

#2 Jimmy Butler: 5 years $92.3 million dollar contract opt out in 2019

Jimmy Butler is an enigma. While it seems he’s running out of options with his attitude, he has a player option clause this summer in his contract. The problem is Philadelphia general manager Elton Brand has traded a ton of depth in Dario Saric, Robert Covington, and Jerryd Bayless to acquire Butler. So while Philadelphia’s starting five rivals the best in the NBA’s Eastern Conference they are not a deep team. To make matters worse, Butler’s inclusion in the 76ers offense affected Joel Embiid’s play for a while and he griped about it publicly. Now, Butler is not happy.

Adrian Wojnawski of ESPN tweeted on January 4th, 2019:

“Reporting with @ramonashelburne: Philadelphia’s Jimmy Butler has aggressively challenged coach Brett Brown on All-Star’s role in 76ers offense, complicating an already-tenuous chemistry among team’s Big 3 hierarchy."

With no guarantee, thanks to a player opt-out clause in June of this year, Butler if unhappy in Philadelphia will weaken the third team in three years with his departure this time via free agency. Elton Brand will need to sit down with all sides and try and get coach Brett Brown, Joel Embiid and Jimmy Butler on the same page for the sake of the team. The 76ers are 4th in the Eastern Conference at 25-14 and are on a two game winning streak. For a team that wins as often as Philadelphia does the drama is unsettling.

#1 LeBron James: 3 years $100 million dollar contract in 2016 opt out Summer of 2018

Los Angeles Lakers v Golden State Warriors

Cleveland Cavaliers general manager, Kolby Altman, is 6 months into life after a superstar player opts out and leaves you with a dearth of talent on the roster. LeBron James is in Los Angeles with the Lakers. Kolby Altman is left trying to reshape and rebuild the roster now.

After representing the NBA’s Eastern Conference in the NBA Finals for four straight years the domino effect of James’ departure has been detrimental to team cohesion and continuity. Point guard George Hill has been traded to Milwaukee. JR Smith sits at home awaiting a trade or buyout. Kyle Korver was also traded to Utah.

Altman is now managing a team run by rookie point guard Collin Sexton and more interested in preparing for the 2019 June Entry Draft than winning games right now. The Cavaliers are 8-31 and perhaps dreaming about drafting Zion Williamson out of Duke University.

Should NBA general managers stop offering player options in contracts? Probably not because then teams struggling to sign free agents would get a reputation making the situation worse. However, handing out player options like candy causes the reverse effect because the roster just gets turned over constantly ruining any chance at team chemistry and roster continuity. Even if a general manager is selective and only gives out these options to star players the issue is you risk leaving a large hole in the quality of your team.

NBA basketball is unique among team sports in that the subtraction or addition of a single star player can dramatically change the fortunes of the team. The days of keeping a franchise player forever on one team are gone with the players winning more rights over their movement under the CBA. The key now for NBA general managers is finding that balance of surrounding their stars with quality teammates and a good environment hoping for the best.