On Monday The Vertical reported that Paul Millsap has opted out of the final year of his contract to test the open market of free agency.
Millsap, 32, averaged 18.1 points, 7.7 rebounds and 3.7 assists in 69 games for the Atlanta Hawks, and hopes to sign a more lucrative deal that would pay him more than the $21.4 million he was due next season.
His decision comes at a time when the NBA’s salary cap is rising again, to $101 million. The contract Millsap signed in 2015 provided him an escape route to a player-friendly market, and he’s prepared to take advantage.