As the NBA's new TV deal kicks in, revenue throughout the league will explode to previously unseen heights. This will directly coincide with further spikes in the salary cap, which means more money flowing to players. It also means that hitting the free agent market over the next two years will be paramount for any players looking to cash in.
Last week, it was reported that Dallas Mavericks point guard Deron Williams will decline his $5.6 million player option for the 2016-17 season so he can become an unrestricted free agent on July 1. Though Williams isn't quite the All-Star he used to be, he's still a productive player for the Mavericks. Unfortunately for team owner Mark Cuban, it looks as if other key contributors will be joining him.
Two new reports suggest that face-of-the-franchise Dirk Nowitzki and Chandler Parsons will also decline their player options for next season to hit the open market.
"Parsons already has said he will exercise his option to become a free agent this summer," one report read.
"Nowitzki plans to opt out of the last year of his current contract...And his new contract will probably be a two-year deal with a player option for the second year," the other report hinted.
However, just because this trio of players intends to hit free agency doesn't mean they're leaving the Mavericks, especially in Nowitzki's case. Instead, this is simply the best course of action to maximize their earning potential going forward.
Parson's option is worth $16.02 million, a big chunk of change to walk away from after his 2016-17 season ended prematurely due to injury. In 61 games, Parsons averaged 16.3 points, 4.7 rebound and 2.8 assists. But with a spiking salary cap, it's likely that Parsons could garner an even higher annual salary on the open market.
Nowitzki, who is heading into his 19th season in the NBA, took a discount in 2014 in order to provide the Mavericks with some salary cap relief. He was expected to decline his modest $8.7 million option for next season in order to re-sign for at least double that figure.
It will be interesting to see what kind of contract these guys sign this summer as it will indicate how the NBA's new revenue stream is impacting free agency.
