THE APEX TIMES
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope with Memphis and Russell with Washington have elected to keep their current contracts on for next year, a notable development as other stars weigh whether to decline player options and hit free agency.
Two prominent NBA role players chose continuity on the kind of decision that can quietly reshape offseason leverage. As reported by Yahoo Sports, Memphis’ Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Washington’ D’Angelo Russell have picked up their player options for the 2026-27 season rather than declining them to become free agents.
Caldwell-Pope’s option is worth $21.6 million, and Russell’s is worth $6 million, according to the report. Both moves keep the players under team control for at least another year, removing a layer of offseason uncertainty for each franchise’s rotation planning.
The timing matters because the league’s player-option window has been marked by more high-profile declinations, creating a ripple effect across team-building priorities. Yahoo Sports characterizes the broader market as one in which several players have already turned down options to reach free agency, with the biggest name discussed as Trae Young, who the report says is expected to re-sign with Washington.
For Memphis, Caldwell-Pope’s decision means the Grizzlies retain a proven perimeter presence at a meaningful price point. The option pickup also helps stabilize salary planning and rotation expectations, since the alternative would have been a sudden entry into the market and the prospect of negotiating replacement minutes and defensive assignments during a busy offseason.
For Washington, Russell’s option pickup serves a similar purpose, albeit at a smaller figure. By staying under contract, Russell remains part of the Wizards’ operational plan for next season rather than becoming a negotiation pivot in free agency. That can matter even when teams are still exploring the wider market, because maintaining an existing ballhandler and organizer in the backcourt can preserve continuity while new pieces are evaluated.
While option decisions do not settle every question about offseason movement, they tend to narrow the set of available players and influence how front offices prioritize other roster needs. With more players expected to make their own choices around this same window, the next developments to watch are which additional names decline, which teams find their most feasible trade-and-sign paths, and whether any remaining uncertainties force mid-market shifts.
