Team Option In Oshae Brissett’s Contract Not A Simple Decision For Indiana Pacers

Indiana Pacers forward Oshae Brissett is just 23 years old, is a talented defender, and possesses enough offensive skills to approach a scoring average of ten points per game. He’s young, talented, and plays an important position.

That seems like a player the Pacers should want to keep around, right?

The obvious answer is yes, Indiana should want to keep the Canadian forward in the Circle City going forward. And Brissett’s contract has a team option for the 2022-23 season worth just over $1.8 million, meaning Indiana can choose to keep Brissett in town next season if they want to.

Despite all that, picking up Brissett’s team option is no easy decision for the blue and gold. In fact, it may be better for Indiana to decline Brissett’s team option this summer as the front office continues to shape the roster.

That is because of a rule regarding restricted free agency in conjunction with how long Brissett has been in the NBA. Because the Syracuse product just wrapped up his third season in the association, he could be subject to restricted free agency rules depending on what happens in the coming months.

According to Article XI, Section 4, part b of the NBA Collective Bargaining Agreement, “Any Veteran Free Agent (other than a First Round Pick whose first Option Year or second Option Year was not exercised) who (i) will have three (3) or fewer Years of Service as of the June 30 following the end of the last Season covered by his Player Contract… will be a Restricted Free Agent if his Prior Team makes a Qualifying Offer to the player at any time from the day following such Season through the immediately following June 29.”

Brissett currently has three years of service. Following the CBA rule noted above, this means if the Pacers decline his team option this offseason, the team would have the option of extending the forward a qualifying offer (worth roughly $2.1 million) and making him a restricted free agent. If Indiana opts to pick up the team option, the Toronto native would be under contract for $1.8 million in 2022-23, but he would become an unrestricted free agent in the 2023 offseason.

If a player is a restricted free agent, their prior team has what is called “Right of First Refusal,” which allows said team to match any contract a player signs with another franchise. So if the Pacers make Brissett a restricted free agent this offseason and then he inks a contract with another team, Indiana would be able to “match” that deal and Brissett would return to the blue and gold on that contract.

However, if Brissett is an unrestricted free agent in the summer of 2023, Indiana would not have refusal rights. That would allow the then four-year pro to sign any deal with any team. He could leave Indiana.

With that in mind, the Pacers will have to consider two paths this summer. Do they want to decline Brissett’s team option and negotiate a new deal with him in restricted free agency, knowing with 100% certainty they would be able to keep him with the right of first refusal? Doing so would guarantee them Brissett for the upcoming season and likely allow them to negotiate a longer term deal that benefits both the team and player, but it would raise his contract price in the coming season. Alternatively, Indiana could pick up Brissett’s team option and have him return to the team on a bargain contract at just $1.8 million in 2022-23. But then the franchise would be at risk of losing him during unrestricted free agency in 2023. It’s a tough decision to make for Pacers brass.

“I haven’t even thought about it,” Brissett said of his contract situation at the end of the season. “I try to leave that stuff out. I know whatever I do on the court is going to get me whatever I deserve.”

Fortunately for the blue and gold, they have salary cap flexibility right now, meaning they should be willing to give Brissett a pay bump this summer. If Indiana wants to guarantee that they keep the Canadian around long-term, they have a path to doing so with little resistance — they could simply decline his team option and negotiate a new deal with the forward while he is a restricted agent, and it would have little opportunity cost.

Indiana’s decision will largely come down to risk. If the Pacers want to maximize their chances of keeping Brissett, then they will likely decline the team option on his contract this summer and safely negotiate a new deal with the 6-foot-7-inch player. If they are willing to risk losing him in 2023 in order to keep his contract value low this coming season, they may pick up his option. Neither option is wrong or right, per se, but the risk of losing a player only exists on one path.

Two things should be noted that the Pacers will consider. One is the fact that if the Pacers do pick up the team option, they would be eligible to ink the three-year pro to a contract extension next April. That would be close to free agency and may not be necessary, but if the Pacers and Brissett feel confident in their relationship and can agree on a deal, this path forward is a possibility.

“I love it here, I want to be here,” Brissett shared of Indiana last month. He added that he wouldn’t be where he is in his career if it weren’t for the Pacers and the team’s G League affiliate, the Fort Wayne Mad Ants.

Another factor at play is that Brissett’s contract next season is non-guaranteed if the team option is picked up. That means Indiana could waive him by January 7, 2023 and remove his cap hit from their salary cap ledger entirely. Such a move would make little sense outside of a terrible injury, but that kind of flexibility may be appealing to the blue and gold.

Ultimately, though, giving Brissett a well-deserved raise makes the most sense in this situation. He is worthy of a deal in the $5-7 million per season range, based on his production and projected growth, so it would be wise for the Pacers to lock him up on a longer term deal now. There is little downside to doing so given the team’s current financial situation.

Indiana will have full Bird rights on Brissett in the 2023 offseason, so if enough trust exists between both parties, perhaps a pay increase could happen next summer during unrestricted free agency. But that is risky. It makes more sense for Indiana to negotiate in a risk-free setting where they have more power, and Brissett would get a pay raise one season sooner if the two parties come to an agreement now. Both sides would be happy with the outcome.

So while Oshae Brissett has been effective for the Indiana Pacers at a young age, it actually makes more sense for the Pacers to decline the 23-year old forward’s team option this offseason. Doing so would lock up a solid piece for the blue and gold for seasons to come, and at this stage of a rebuild, that is what Indiana needs to do.