The Raptors have exercised the $3.3M option on Tyler Hansbrough for 2014-15.
Hansbrough made $3.2M last season and averaged 15.3 minutes in 64 games, while starting 4. His final year was partially guaranteed at $1M, which makes this an understandable signing from a financial perspective since the cost of a decent replacement would cost more than $2.2M. He averaged 4.9 points and 4.5 rebounds, and saw his minutes decrease with the acquisition of Patrick Patterson in December as Dwane Casey preferred the more versatile Patterson in a stretch-four capacity. With the future of Patterson uncertain, the move ensures that the Raptors are at-least two-deep at power forward next season. Newly acquired Lucas Nogueira, Jonas Valanciunas, and Chuck Hayes would round out the big man rotation.
You might have been forgiven for thinking that the Raptors may decline the option to free up more money for Kyle Lowry, Patrick Patterson, and Greivis Vasquez, but Ujiri clearly feels that Hansbrough is a rotational player, albeit a situational one. Hansbrough was 24th in the NBA in fouls per minute, which appears shockingly low given his style of play and disregard for rules. He’s 28 years old and although he was one of the greatest college players in the modern era, his NBA game remains confined to the role of a garbage man who plays with a tremendous amount of heart and hustle.
There is no word on whether the Raptors will pick up options on Dwight Buycks ($816,482) and Julyan Stone ($948,163). Assuming the Raptors exercise the $7M option on Amir Johnson, their guaranteed money for next season will be $48 million. However, considering cap-holds of Caboclo, Nogueira, Lowry, Vasquez, De Colo, and Patterson, the number balloons to $69.4M. The NBA salary cap is set to be approximately $63.2M.
Here’s a chart of the Rudy Gay trade impact (no way William Lou out-does me):
The @Raptors have picked up the team option on forward-centre Tyler Hansbrough for the 2014-15 season. #RTZ
— RaptorsMR (@RaptorsMR) June 30, 2014
