The Indiana Pacers have exercised the fourth-year option on forward T.J. Leaf, reports ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarwoski.
Leaf, who averaged 3.9 points and 2.2 rebounds in his second season, is slated to make in the neighborhood of $2.18 million this season and $4.3 million in 2020-21, when salary cap projections have been lowered to $116 million — without accounting for potential fallout from the NBA’s situation with China. Per Early Bird Rights, Indiana has $102 million committed in guaranteed salary for 2020-21, which means a hypothetical extension for Domantas Sabonis in the annual average value range of $14-16 million (a slight haircut in comparison to Myles Turner’s $18 million AAV, but a bit of bump from what veteran centers like Brook Lopez and Dewayne Dedmon garnered this summer) would put them over the cap and therefore incentivize them to make low-risk investments in their own players now.