Miami Heat big man Kelly Olynyk can become an unrestricted free agent after the season if he decides to opt out of the final year of his contract.
However, with the uncertainty surrounding the resumption of the NBA season due to the coronavirus, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald believes Olynyk will likely opt to play out the final year of his contract with the Heat.
The 28-year-old is due to make $13.6 million in the final year of his contract.
Before the suspension of the regular season, Olynyk wasn’t expected to have many suitors in free agency because only six teams outside of the Heat were projected to have over $10 million in cap space.
However, the coronavirus forcing the league to shut down has lowered the revenue figures that will be used to determine the salary cap next season and will influence how teams approach free agency.
Another reason Jackson believes that Olynyk will likely stay in Miami is the fact that teams that are expected to have enough cap room during the offseason may not spend all the money they have. This is because owners have taken a big financial hit during the hiatus.
Olynyk is averaging a career-low 7.7 points per game this season while playing 18.5 minutes per game. He is averaging only 14.2 minutes per game since the All-Star break.
