With just a few weeks remaining until having to make a final decision, Sacramento Kings guard Iman Shumpert has elected to opt into the final year of his contract, according to a report from Shams Charania of Yahoo Sports.
Sacramento Kings guard Iman Shumpert has opted into his $11M player option for the 2018-19 season, league sources tell Yahoo.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 8, 2018
Shumpert, now 27 years of age, will earn just over $11 million with the Kings next season, as Charania reported. The former Georgia Tech Yellow Jacket was forced to the sidelines for much of the 2017-18 NBA season due to injuries, so taking the guaranteed money may have been his best option on the table.
“Shump,” as he's come to be known, appeared in just 14 games for the Cleveland Cavaliers this season before being dealt to the Kings at the trade deadline in a three-team deal. However, he didn't play another game after his move to the Jazz (knee and foot injuries). The Kings didn't feel the need to rush his recovery.
In his 76 appearances with the Cavs during the 2016-17 season (31 starts), Shumpert racked up averages of 7.5 points on 41.1 percent shooting from the field (36.0 percent from beyond the arc), 2.9 rebounds, 1.4 assists, and just under one steal (0.8) in 25.5 minutes per game.
Shumpert was admittedly frustrated with being sidelined at times. In fact, he posted a message on his Instagram story saying as much.
“Most of my year has been burnt on injuries,” Shumpert wrote. “SMH. OD frustrated not playing basketball. But I will ALWAYS remember how quickly they forget.”
There is no doubt that Shumpert is a solid player, especially on the defensive end of the floor. If he can stay healthy, the Kings will have made the right decision.
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