The coronavirus pandemic and the recently strained relationship with China are two major reasons why the NBA will take a hiatus from massive salaries and record contracts for the foreseeable future.
The league was bound to lose any prospect of good fortune in the upcoming salary cap once Daryl Morey's comments supporting Hong Kong freedom rang hostile with the NBA's leading partner, resulting in a disagreement big enough to stop the broadcasting of live games on the country's biggest station, the government-owned CCTV.
Couple that with the recent three-months-and counting hiatus, and the league will see some abysmal losses in revenue. The following five players will be better off heeding the advice of player agents, who are encouraging them to take the money they're owed and run, as they're unlikely to get a bigger payday as free agents.
According to David Aldridge and John Hollinger of The Athletic, agents have started to warn their clients about this potential situation:
“Agents are encouraging players with player options to consider opting in for next season, while telling clients in Europe to take the “sure thing” over there and stay abroad, because no NBA team is keeping them around with its 15th roster spot”
“I’m telling all my clients to opt in,” another agent said. “Although they won’t tear up the CBA if we actually have basketball this summer, they will want to make changes to BRI based on the overall losses.”
These five are the most vulnerable players in this predicament, and they should definitely exercise their player options or risk huge financial loss in the wake of what could be a nightmare financial year for the league.
Note: Players like Anthony Davis and Nicolas Batum were excluded from this list. Davis will likely test free agency and will get max-level money regardless due to his superstar status. Batum, who stands to make $27.1 million next season, is a no-brainer choice to exercise his player option, though he could also wind up getting traded or bought out by the Charlotte Hornets.
Gordon Hayward — Boston Celtics
2020-21 salary: $34.2 million
It seems like it was just yesterday that Gordon Hayward agreed to a four-year, $127.8 million contract with the Celtics after the deal was announced the first day of free agency in 2017, then backtracked, then announced again via The Players' Tribune.
The excitement over Hayward didn't last long, as he suffered multiple major injuries within the first minutes of wearing the Celtics uniform during the 2017-18 season opener against the Cleveland Cavaliers. If you remember that moment, the details are harrowing.
Hayward spent his next season trying to regain his form after becoming a newly minted All-Star in his last year with the Utah Jazz in 2016-17. His 2018-19 season left a lot to be desired, as he battled his hope to regain form and his struggle to push himself beyond his comfort zone.
After two seasons to forget, Hayward is no longer a shell of himself in 2019-20, but rather more of the seamless fit the Celtics envisioned when they signed him. Hayward is averaging 17.3 points, a career-best 6.5 rebounds, and 4.1 assists in his 10th NBA season.
Unfortunately, his numbers and role with the team don't warrant the type of max deal that a player of his caliber could have looked to make as a free agent.
Hayward can opt into $34.2 million next season, which is a nice chunk of change before he could then become a free agent in 2021.
DeMar DeRozan — San Antonio Spurs
2020-21 salary: $27.7 million
One of the nicest guys in the NBA, DeRozan will likely miss out on a crucial payday coming off his 11th NBA season. The mid-range master is averaging 20 or more points for his seventh straight season, but the market simply isn't there for a player of his skill set.
DeRozan has been in trade rumors this season, as he and LaMarcus Aldridge stand as potential roadblocks for a rebuild in San Antonio.
The Compton native, particularly, is soaking up the most minutes for a team with talented guards in Dejounte Murray, Derrick White, Bryn Forbes, Lonnie Walker IV, and the recently re-signed Patty Mills.
The Spurs simply have too many guards who warrant playing time and DeRozan could be moved at any time, even despite averages of 22.2 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 5.6 assists this season.
Yet San Antonio has a history of honoring their contracts and DeRozan should take full advantage of that, with $27.7 million coming his way in 2020-21.
Andre Drummond — Cleveland Cavaliers
2020-21 salary: $28.8 million
Drummond orchestrated his own exit from the Detroit Pistons after promising the front office he would opt out of his contract after this season. He will now have to think it over, as the $28.8 million he's owed next season if he opts in seems too good to pass up.
The 6-foot-11 rebound gobbler should have started to sense that his market value wasn't as high as he hoped as soon as the Pistons called his bluff and consequently traded him to the struggling Cavaliers.
Drummond might be the best center in Cleveland, but he would have a hard time fetching a sum above $30 million a year.
The money is simply not there for a center who doesn't impact winning enough. Drummond has decent intangibles, but he's regarded as an empty numbers guy and the optics are simply not good enough to warrant more money.
Otto Porter Jr.— Chicago Bulls
2020-21 salary: $28.5 million
Porter just finished Year 3 of the four-year, $106.5 million deal he signed in 2017. The Chicago Bulls might not have an option besides paying him the $28.5 million he's owed if he opts into the last year of his contract — even if he has only played a whopping 29 games for the Bulls since being acquired at the trade deadline last season.
Porter was plagued by injuries in 2019-20, but the Bulls are hoping he can be worth the money, even if they've only had a small sample size to test.
The hope is that the 17.5 points, 5.5 rebounds, 2.7 assists, and 1.2 steals per game they saw in 15 games last season are closer to what they will get than the ghastly 11.9 points, 3.4 rebounds, 1.8 assists, and 1.1 steals per game they got from him in this injury-plagued season.
Evan Fournier — Orlando Magic
2020-21 salary: $17.2 million
The Magic man was amid trade rumors again this season while averaging a career-high 18.8 points through 61 games in 2019-20. Yet the market for supporting scorers will be below the $17-plus million he has made annually over the past four seasons— the same figure he can continue to make in 2020-21 by opting into the last year of his contract.
There might be money for Fournier in the future, but he must solidify himself as a solid 20-point scoring guard to warrant the gamble from a franchise.
The French guard has strong shooting percentage numbers (47.0% from the floor, 40.6% from deep, 82.0% from the foul line), but he must elevate his rebounding (2.6 rebounds per game) and playmaking (3.2 assists) to be considered a potential go-to scorer and become a prime target.
For now, the 27-year-old is better off taking the money and running rather than risking taking less to secure a long-term deal.
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