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 November 2.
Typically, October 31 is the deadline for teams to exercise rookie scale options, but if Oct. 31 falls on a weekend, as it does in 2026, the deadline is pushed back to the next business day. This year, that’s Monday, Nov. 2.
All the players whose options will be exercised or declined by Nov. 2 are already under contract for the 2026/27 season. Their teams will have to make a decision on whether they want to lock in those players’ contracts beyond the coming season, picking up or turning down team options for the 2027/28 campaign.
For players who signed their rookie scale contracts in 2024 and have already been in the NBA for two years, teams must decide on fourth-year options for 2027/28. 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 ’27/28.
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 who do have a significant role on a team’s roster, the decision is even easier — it’s not as if the Hornets will consider turning down their option on Kon Knueppel, 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 2027/28 team options that clubs must make by Nov. 2. 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 2027/28 salaries:
Atlanta Hawks
Devin Carter (fourth year, $7,370,896)
Asa Newell (third year, $3,560,880)
Boston Celtics
Baylor Scheierman (fourth year, $4,952,992)
Hugo Gonzalez (third year, $3,062,640)
Brooklyn Nets
Egor Demin (third year, $7,578,240)
Nolan Traore (third year, $4,193,040)
Drake Powell (third year, $3,709,320)
Ben Saraf (third year, $3,172,920)
Danny Wolf (third year, $3,081,840)
Charlotte Hornets
Kon Knueppel (third year, $11,017,560)
Tidjane Salaun (fourth year, $10,445,632)
Liam McNeeley (third year, $3,040,320)
Chicago Bulls
Rob Dillingham (fourth year, $8,763,215)
Matas Buzelis (fourth year, $7,584,283)
Noa Essengue (third year, $5,972,760)
Cleveland Cavaliers
Dallas Mavericks
Denver Nuggets
Detroit Pistons
Golden State Warriors
None
Houston Rockets
Indiana Pacers
None
Los Angeles Clippers
Los Angeles Lakers
Memphis Grizzlies
Zach Edey (fourth year, $8,067,936)
Cedric Coward (third year, $6,286,920)
AJ Johnson (fourth year, $5,493,393)
Walter Clayton (third year, $4,390,320)
Miami Heat
None
Milwaukee Bucks
Kel’el Ware (fourth year, $7,135,992)
Kasparas Jakucionis (third year, $4,024,440)
Minnesota Timberwolves
Cody Williams (fourth year, $7,669,890)
Terrence Shannon Jr. (fourth year, $5,054,159)
Joan Beringer (third year, $4,621,200)
New Orleans Pelicans
Jeremiah Fears (third year, $8,271,960)
Derik Queen (third year, $5,673,840)
Yves Missi (fourth year, $5,595,827)
New York Knicks
Oklahoma City Thunder
Nikola Topic (fourth year, $7,482,209)
Jared McCain (fourth year, $6,784,268)
Thomas Sorber (third year, $5,120,400)
Orlando Magic
Tristan Da Silva (fourth year, $6,138,466)
Jase Richardson (third year, $3,282,000)
Philadelphia 76ers
Phoenix Suns
Khaman Maluach (third year, $6,617,160)
Ryan Dunn (fourth year, $5,025,553)
Portland Trail Blazers
Donovan Clingan (fourth year, $9,550,298)
Yang Hansen (third year, $4,864,920)
Sacramento Kings
San Antonio Spurs
Dylan Harper (third year, $13,607,760)
Stephon Castle (fourth year, $12,670,139)
Carter Bryant (third year, $5,390,640)
Toronto Raptors
Collin Murray-Boyles (third year, $6,966,000)
Ja’Kobe Walter (fourth year, $5,870,172)
Utah Jazz
Ace Bailey (third year, $9,976,560)
Isaiah Collier (fourth year, $4,988,948)
Washington Wizards
Alex Sarr (fourth year, $15,611,798)
Tre Johnson (third year, $9,061,680)
Bub Carrington (fourth year, $7,257,729)
Kyshawn George (fourth year, $5,435,892)
Will Riley (third year, $3,864,000)