Porzingis opting in? ☝️🤔☝️
Something that is picking up more and more buzz: Kristaps Porzingis opting in for $36M with Washington next season. Under the old front office, the assumption was Porzingis would opt out and re-sign on a long-term deal with Wizards. He may take the money now and hit FA in 2024.
— Keith Smith (@KeithSmithNBA) June 14, 2023
by PresidentNaruto
9 Comments
that’s actually kinda crazy of him to do
The fun theory is that he is doing this because it makes him movable and lands him on a team that is not rebuilding sooner than later…. also potentially opens up more possibilities for a super trade that Beal could be a part of if it’s to Beal’s liking. At the very least, I think this would mean Tingis could be moved in a draft night trade
Send him down to Miami with Beal, Bam + KP would be a crazy defensive duo
Works for me but why would he do that with his injury history?
Best case scenario
Dumb on KP’s part. Maybe they will work out trade after he opts in so he can go somewhere he likes and then he can resign there after 6 months or so. Hard capped after sign n trade if hes opt out
The new CBA makes overpaying guys like punitive. 36 million for a high level role player or third option on a championship team is crazy.
i’ll believe that when i see it
Outside of the Washington, he needs “CAP SPACE” team to offer him a contract that he would like to see.
According to [Spotrac.com/nba/cap](https://Spotrac.com/nba/cap), there maybe like 4 teams with projected practical cap space over 30 M. Houston Rockets. San Antonio Spurs, Utah Jazz, Oklahoma City Thunder. Other teams can make spaces, but it would require lots of trade and re-tooling.
In a financial sense, he would love to get a long term contract with the Wizards. He is turning 28 next year, and with his health history, he may want to lock in $. Ideal deal would be 4 years, 120 M ~ 140 M range.
Does Rockets, Spurs, Jazz, and Thunder want to splash money for Porzingis? Who will be on his doorstep to offer this money?
It maybe best for him to opt-in, get traded mid-season while continuing to be a borderline all-star (or even better as he could be the #1 option with Beal’s situation), then he can go to a contending team and be able to sign the deal next year without cap-space issue.
This is also true for Kuzma. Wizards were giving them “promises” that we will give them extensions once they opt-out, but with the new regime, that has changed.