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• Pelicans Sign DeAndre Jordan To One-Year Deal
• Latest On Arrests Of Chauncey Billups, Terry Rozier
• Pelicans Waive Jaden Springer
• Tiago Splitter Takes Over As Blazers’ Head Coach

Decisions On 2026/27 Rookie Scale Team Options

While decisions on player and team options for veteran NBA contracts are typically due in June, the deadline to exercise third- and fourth-year team options for players on rookie scale contracts arrives each fall. This year’s deadline for teams to pick up rookie scale options is October 31, 2025.

All the players whose options will be exercised or declined by Oct. 31 are already under contract for the 2025/26 season. Their teams will have to make a decision on whether they want to lock in those players’ contractsbeyond the coming season, picking up or turning down team options for the 2026/27 campaign.

For players who signed their rookie scale contracts in 2023 and have already been in the NBA for two years, teams must decide on fourth-year options for 2026/27. For players who just signed their rookie deals last year and only have one season of NBA experience under their belts, teams will already be faced with a decision on third-year options for ’26/27.

In many cases, these decisions aren’t difficult ones. Rookie scale salaries are affordable enough that it usually makes sense to exercise these team options, even if a player isn’t a key cog on the roster. And for those players whodo have a significant role on a team’s roster, the decision is even easier — it’s not as if theSpurs will consider turning down their option onStephon Castle, for instance.

Still, we’ll wait for a trusted reporter, the NBA, a player (or his agent), or a team itself to confirm that an option is indeed being exercised or declined, and we’ll track that news in this space.

Listed below are all the rookie scale decisions for 2026/27 team options that clubs must make by Oct. 31. This list will be updated through the deadline as teams’ decisions are reported and announced. The salary figures listed here reflect the cap hits for each team.

Here are the NBA’s rookie scale team option decisions for 2026/27 salaries:

Atlanta Hawks

• Zaccharie Risacher (third year, $13,826,040)

Boston Celtics

• Baylor Scheierman (third year, $2,744,040)

Brooklyn Nets

• Kobe Bufkin (fourth year, $6,904,203):Waived
• Noah Clowney (fourth year, $5,414,034):Exercised
• Dariq Whitehead (fourth year, $5,366,911):Waived

Charlotte Hornets

• Brandon Miller (fourth year, $15,104,626)
• Tidjane Salaun (third year, $8,237,880)
• Nick Smith Jr. (fourth year, $4,890,067):Waived

Chicago Bulls

• Matas Buzelis (third year, $5,715,360):Exercised

Cleveland Cavaliers

• Jaylon Tyson (third year, $3,658,560):Exercised

Dallas Mavericks

• Dereck Lively II (fourth year, $7,239,130):Exercised
• Olivier-Maxence Prosper (fourth year, $5,259,383):Waived

Denver Nuggets

• Julian Strawther (fourth year, $4,826,931):Exercised
• DaRon Holmes (third year, $3,372,120):Exercised

Detroit Pistons

• Ausar Thompson (fourth year, $11,117,925)
• Ron Holland (third year, $9,069,600)
• Marcus Sasser (fourth year, $5,198,983)

Golden State Warriors

• Brandin Podziemski (fourth year, $5,679,458)

Houston Rockets

• Amen Thompson (fourth year, $12,258,609)
• Reed Sheppard (third year, $11,108,880)

Indiana Pacers

• Jarace Walker (fourth year, $8,478,541):Exercised
• Ben Sheppard (fourth year, $5,031,668):Exercised

Los Angeles Clippers

• Kobe Brown (fourth year, $4,792,058)

Los Angeles Lakers

• Dalton Knecht (third year, $4,201,080):Exercised

Memphis Grizzlies

• Zach Edey (third year, $6,332,760):Exercised

Miami Heat

• Jaime Jaquez Jr. (fourth year, $5,939,141):Exercised
• Kel’el Ware (third year, $4,654,920):Exercised

Milwaukee Bucks

• None

Minnesota Timberwolves

• Rob Dillingham (third year, $6,889,320):Exercised
• Terrence Shannon Jr.(third year, $2,801,640):Exercised

New Orleans Pelicans

• Jordan Hawkins (fourth year, $7,021,895):Exercised
• Yves Missi (third year, $3,512,760):Exercised

New York Knicks

• Pacome Dadiet (third year, $2,983,680)

Oklahoma City Thunder

• Cason Wallace (fourth year, $7,420,806):Exercised
• Nikola Topic (third year, $5,429,760):Exercised

Orlando Magic

• Anthony Black (fourth year, $10,106,315)
• Jett Howard (fourth year, $7,337,938)
• Tristan Da Silva (third year, $3,991,200)

Philadelphia 76ers

• Jared McCain (third year, $4,422,600)

Phoenix Suns

• Ryan Dunn, Suns (third year, $2,784,240):Exercised

Portland Trail Blazers

• Scoot Henderson (fourth year, $13,585,523):Exercised
• Donovan Clingan (third year, $7,519,920):Exercised
• Kris Murray (fourth year, $5,315,004):Exercised

Sacramento Kings

• Devin Carter (third year, $5,158,080):Exercised

San Antonio Spurs

• Victor Wembanyama (fourth year, $16,868,246):Exercised
• Stephon Castle (third year, $10,015,920):Exercised

Toronto Raptors

• Gradey Dick (fourth year, $7,131,510):Exercised
• Ja’Kobe Walter (third year, $3,811,800):Exercised

Utah Jazz

• Taylor Hendricks (fourth year, $7,805,900)
• Keyonte George (fourth year, $6,563,925)
• Cody Williams (third year, $6,015,600)
• Brice Sensabaugh (fourth year, $4,862,237)
• Isaiah Collier (third year, $2,763,960)

Washington Wizards

• Alex Sarr (third year, $12,370,680)
• Bilal Coulibaly (fourth year, $9,240,012)
• Cam Whitmore (fourth year, $5,458,310)
• Bub Carrington (third year, $4,900,560)
• AJ Johnson (third year, $3,237,120)
• Kyshawn George (third year, $3,108,000)
• Dillon Jones (third year, $2,884,440):Waived

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One thought on “Decisions On 2026/27 Rookie Scale Team Options”

1. Roccos Basket•2 months ago

   The NBA rookie scale is so wrong and unfair for both sides (players and teams) I know is in the last CBA and it can’t be changed or modified, but they should use an arbitration system like the MLB, first two years guaranteed salary and the next two arbitration based on productivity and the fifth year restricted free agent with a set amount of money.

   Reply