The NBA’s transaction wire has been quieter since opening night, but that won’t last much longer. Monday, November 2 is the deadline for teams to decide on their 2027/28 team options for rookie scale contracts, and plenty of those calls are still waiting to be made public.
These aren’t the same as the usual veteran options. For former first-round picks, the third- and fourth-year rookie scale options have to be picked up a year early. That’s why the Spurs’ decision earlier this month on Stephon Castle mattered for 2027/28 - his ’26/27 salary was already locked in last October when they exercised his third-year option.
So far, 35 options have been exercised, but there are still several first-rounders from the 2024 and 2025 classes whose futures for 2027/28 haven’t been officially settled yet. Some of the choices are obvious. Charlotte still hasn’t formally exercised Kon Knueppel’s $11,017,560 option for 2027/28, though that move is widely expected.
Other cases are less straightforward. The Hornets also have to decide on Tidjane Salaun’s $10,445,632 fourth-year option for 2027/28. Charlotte has room to make that commitment from a cap standpoint next season, but Salaun’s NBA role has been limited through two-plus years, so that one isn’t nearly as automatic.
Here are the 17 option decisions that remain unreported or unannounced:
Charlotte Hornets
Kon Knueppel (third year, $11,017,560)
Tidjane Salaun (fourth year, $10,445,632)
Liam McNeeley (third year, $3,040,320)
Denver Nuggets
DaRon Holmes (fourth year, $5,547,137)
Milwaukee Bucks
Kel’el Ware (fourth year, $7,135,992)
Kasparas Jakucionis (third year, $4,024,440)
Oklahoma City Thunder
Nikola Topic (fourth year, $7,482,209)
Jared McCain (fourth year, $6,784,268)
Thomas Sorber (third year, $5,120,400)
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)
In Other News...
Hornets Catch A Big Opening As Sixers Stars Suddenly Waver
The early-season injury report has already put Philadelphia in a tricky spot, and that creates a little extra intrigue for Charlotte as the Hornets look ahead to a matchup that suddenly feels more manageable than it did a few days ago. The 76ers are already taking a cautious approach with their stars, limiting minutes and leaning into rest this early in the calendar as they try to protect the long haul.
For Charlotte, the opening matters because it changes the shape of the game before it even tips off. Philadelphia may have to lean more heavily on Tyrese Maxey if another key piece is sidelined, and the Hornets will be watching the status page closely to see just how thin the Sixers are willing to go. The gap between a full-strength opponent and one missing multiple high-end options can be the difference between chasing the game and having a real chance to control it. [Read more 🡒]
Hornets Face A Strange Opportunity In A Game Full Of Uncertainty
Saturday nights matchup has taken on a strange look before the ball is even tipped, with Philadelphia already thinning out its rotation and Charlotte still dealing with its own injury absences. The 76ers have ruled out LeBron James and Joel Embiid for injury management, while Jaylen Brown is questionable after sitting out the previous game with left patellar tendinopathy, leaving plenty of uncertainty around how the game will actually play out.
From the Hornets side, the challenge is familiar enough: they will again be without Kon Knueppel, Coby White, and Grant Williams as they try to piece together a workable lineup. Even in a game packed with missing star power, Charlottes focus has to be on making the most of the opportunity in front of it, because the opening may be unusual but the task is still the same. [Read more 🡒]
Hornets Offense Is Becoming A Problem Fans Cant Ignore
Opening night of the 2026 NBA Cup brought plenty of headline-grabbing action around the league, from Stephen Curry powering the Warriors back from a big first-quarter hole against the Lakers to Luka Doni putting up 37 in a losing effort for Dallas. But for Charlotte, the more pressing takeaway came in its loss to Washington, where the offense again looked stuck in neutral and the kind of scoring droughts that have haunted the early season were impossible to miss.
For a team trying to establish any kind of rhythm, this is becoming a real concern. The Hornets have already been part of far too many low-output nights, and the pattern is hard to brush aside when the shots are not falling and the pace of the game never quite turns in their favor. Until that changes, every loss is going to feel bigger than the standings alone would suggest. [Read more 🡒]