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Several NBA teams have decided to decline the 2027-28 rookie-scale team options for 11 first-round picks from the 2024 NBA Draft, with seven players having their options declined before the November 2 deadline and four others losing them after getting waived.
That’s more than one-third of the entire first round, and the crazy part is that most of these players are still only 21 or 22 years old, with some barely getting a chance to play since entering the league. Three were even selected inside the top 10, which makes this very surprising for a draft class that’s only two years old.
Of course, not every situation is the same, because some players simply haven’t been good, others have missed a lot of time with injuries, and a few teams just don’t want to spend their last spendable millions on guys who aren’t playing much.
I get most of these decisions, but there are definitely a few players I would’ve kept around, especially when you look at what they’ve already done. So here’s what happened with all 11 first-round picks, how they’ve played so far, and whether their teams made the right calls.
The Charlotte Hornets declined Tidjane Salaun’s $10.4 million team option for 2027-28, and I can’t say I’m completely shocked when you look at his numbers, even if we’re talking about someone they selected sixth overall just two years ago.
Salaun came into the NBA as an 18-year-old forward with excellent size at 6-foot-10, but he was always going to need a lot of time to develop, especially offensively. His rookie season was rough, with averages of 5.9 points and 4.7 rebounds while shooting only 33.0% from the field and 28.3% from three, so there wasn’t much production to get excited about.
Things actually got a little better last season, as he averaged 6.0 points and 4.0 rebounds while making an impressive 43.4% of his threes, although he was playing only 15.5 minutes per game and wasn’t exactly getting a huge role in the rotation.
Now, through seven games this season, Salaun is putting up just 4.7 points and 3.7 rebounds, and that’s where I understand the Hornets’ decision, because guaranteeing $10.4 million to someone averaging fewer than five points isn’t something every team can afford.
Still, I wouldn’t completely give up on him, because he’s only 21 and that improvement from three is definitely worth something. If he can start finishing more shots around the basket, rebound better, and keep shooting well from outside, there’s still a chance he becomes a decent NBA forward, even if he probably won’t live up to being the sixth pick.
Rob Dillingham has already been through more teams than most young players, a wild journey for someone who was the eighth overall pick in 2024, and now he’s looking for another NBA shot after the Hornets waived him before the season.
The San Antonio Spurs originally drafted him before immediately sending him to the Minnesota Timberwolves, where he struggled to earn regular minutes, and things didn’t get much easier after he was traded to the Chicago Bulls in February 2026.
Actually, Dillingham looked a little better with the Bulls, averaging 9.6 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 2.8 assists across 30 games last season, which isn’t bad for a 21-year-old guard who was finally getting more chances with the ball in his hands.
But then the Bulls traded him to the Hornets in September, and Charlotte waived him just two days later, ending his original rookie contract and canceling the $8.8 million option he would’ve had for 2027-28.
The main problem with Dillingham is that he’s a small guard who needs the ball to score, and since he can’t shoot from deep, his lack of defense makes it difficult to keep him on the court. He’s quick, can handle the ball, and has some nice scoring moves, but he hasn’t been efficient to earn a regular role.
I still think there’s an NBA player here, though, and I’d honestly rather see him get another opportunity than disappear from the league this early. He’s only 21, he’s already shown some offensive talent, and a team looking for youth could definitely give him a two-way.
Honestly, I saw this coming for Cody Williams since his terrible rookie season, so the Timberwolves declining his $7.7 million option doesn’t surprise me at all. He wasn’t even a major part of their plans when they acquired him from the Jazz this offseason, since that trade was mostly about saving money to make room for Jonathan Kuminga.
Williams was the 10th overall pick in 2024, and while his rookie season wasn’t good at all, he did improve last year, averaging 8.8 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 2.0 assists while shooting 46.8% from the field. He also started 41 games, so it’s not like he has absolutely no NBA experience.
The biggest issue was his three-point shooting, because making only 21.4% of his outside attempts is a serious problem for a 6-foot-7 wing, especially when teams want players at his position who can guard wings and make open shots.
Since joining the Timberwolves, Williams has appeared in five games this season, but has played 19 total minutes without scoring a point, so there really hasn’t been much to judge from his time with the team.
Aside from his unstable start to his NBA career, this decision has more to do with their expensive roster than with Williams being completely out of Minnesota’s plans, and that’s more than understandable with the new CBA.
Minnesota already has a lot of money committed to its main players, but I still think Williams could earn time somewhere. He’s 21, has good size, and showed some improvement last season, so if he can become a decent three-point shooter, I wouldn’t be surprised if he finds a regular role.
Nikola Topic is probably the one player here I really don’t want to judge based on his NBA numbers, because the guy has barely been able to play since the Oklahoma City Thunder selected him with the 12th pick in 2024.
The Thunder already knew he would miss his entire rookie season because of a torn ACL, which was a tough way to begin his career, but things became much more serious when he later received a testicular cancer diagnosis and underwent treatment, followed by back surgery.
Because of all that, Topic has played only 10 NBA games, so I don’t think it makes much sense to compare his development to other players who have already spent two full seasons getting minutes and learning against NBA competition.
Oklahoma City still declined his $7.5 million fourth-year option while picking up the options for Jared McCain and Thomas Sorber, and that was obviously a financial sacrifice, with the Thunder already having expensive long-term contracts and an offseason where they traded many pieces.
But when it comes to basketball, I still like what Topic could eventually bring. Before the draft, he was considered one of the best point guards in his class because of his passing, his size, and how well he could get into the paint to create shots for teammates.
The thing is, none of that really matters until he’s healthy enough to play regularly, and that’s obviously the priority right now. I wouldn’t call him a failed draft pick or anything close to that, because he hasn’t even had a normal chance to show what he can do.
The Sacramento Kings selected Devin Carter 13th overall in 2024, and after struggling with injuries during his first two years, he averaged 8.9 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 2.7 assists in 38 games last season while playing 18.4 minutes per night.
That’s not amazing production, but it’s not terrible either, and he even showed he could make an impact when given enough opportunities. But the Kings traded him to the Atlanta Hawks in June along with a future second-round pick, and the Hawks waived him in September, canceling his $7.4 million option.
The Boston Celtics eventually picked him up and converted his contract into a two-way deal in October, so at least he has another chance, although he’s going to need to become a much better shooter if he wants regular minutes.
Carter has played only 74 NBA games across his first two seasons, and his career three-point percentage sits at just 27.4%, which is obviously a big issue for a 6-foot-2 guard.
Of all the players on this list, Dalton Knecht might be the one I was the saddest to see get waived, because it really wasn’t that long ago that he looked like one of the best steals from the 2024 draft.
The Los Angeles Lakers selected Knecht with the 17th pick, and he had some really impressive scoring performances as a rookie, including that 37-point game against the Jazz when he knocked down nine three-pointers.
He also had a nine-game stretch where he averaged 18.9 points while shooting 52.2% from three, and for a young player coming off the bench, that’s the kind of shooting that can make a big difference.
Knecht finished his rookie season with 9.1 points and 2.8 rebounds in 19.2 minutes per game, shooting 37.6% from three, and I genuinely thought the Lakers had found someone who could become a regular rotation shooter for years. But his second season was completely different, with his averages dropping to 4.2 points and 1.4 rebounds in just 10.2 minutes per game, while his three-point percentage fell to 34.2%.
The Lakers changed their roster around Luka Doncic, Knecht struggled to find minutes, and that failed Mark Williams trade in February 2025 probably didn’t help his situation either. Eventually, the Lakers waived him before this season, which canceled his fourth-year option, and the Knicks signed him to a two-way contract.
DaRon Holmes II has barely been able to show what he can do since entering the NBA, and that’s mostly because his career got off to a terrible start when he tore his right Achilles during his very first Summer League game in 2024.
The Denver Nuggets had traded up to select him with the 22nd pick, hoping he could develop into a good backup big man behind Nikola Jokic, but the injury forced him to miss his entire rookie season.
He finally made his debut last season, appearing in 25 games and averaging 3.7 points and 1.4 rebounds in 8.4 minutes per night, which isn’t much production but also isn’t much playing time to work with. This season, he’s played only two games and five total minutes, so the Nuggets decided not to guarantee his $5.5 million option for 2027-28.
Denver made that decision due to second-apron pressure, but I also think Holmes deserves a little more patience. The Nuggets just haven’t seen enough of him yet, and honestly, neither have we.
AJ Johnson has already been moved around the league several times, and unfortunately, his numbers haven’t given teams many reasons to keep him, which explains why the New Orleans Pelicans declined his $5.5 million deal.
The Milwaukee Bucks selected Johnson with the 23rd pick in 2024, but he was later traded to the Washington Wizards, then to the Dallas Mavericks, and finally to the Pelicans in September as part of a deal involving Jordan Hawkins.
That’s four organizations in just over two years, and while getting traded doesn’t always mean a player is doing something wrong, it definitely hasn’t helped Johnson find a regular role. Across 48 games with the Wizards and Mavericks last season, he averaged only 3.3 points, 1.1 rebounds, and 1.0 assists while shooting 32.4% from the field and 21.1% from three.
Those percentages are rough, especially for a guard, and his career three-point shooting hasn’t been much better at 24.5%, so it’s pretty clear what he needs to improve. He’s still young enough to improve, but right now, his shooting simply isn’t good enough for a guard trying to earn NBA minutes.
The Knicks declined Pacome Dadiet’s $5.4 million option for 2027-28, and this is one of those decisions that makes a lot of sense when you look at their payroll and how little he’s played.
He appeared in only 18 games as a rookie, averaging 1.7 points, and things didn’t change much last season when he played 29 games and averaged the same. Through the opening games of 2026-27, he’s played just one minute in one appearance, and the Knicks decided to decline his option, trying to find extra salary room.
And honestly, I can’t blame the Knicks for saving that $5.4 million, especially with much bigger contract decisions coming up. Towns has a $61.0 million player option for 2027-28, Josh Hart has a $22.4 million team option, and Miles McBride is entering free agency next summer, with all three having already discussed extensions with the team before negotiations were put on hold.
If Towns picks up his option, the Knicks could end up over the second apron, and keeping McBride in free agency would be impossible. That’s why they need to save as much money as possible to stay below that limit, so declining Dadiet’s option makes perfect sense when he isn’t even part of the rotation.
Dillon Jones lost his rookie contract in October 2025, when the Washington Wizards waived him just four months after acquiring him from the Oklahoma City Thunder, automatically canceling his remaining team options, including the one for 2027-28.
The Thunder had acquired Jones with the 26th pick in 2024, and he averaged 2.5 points, 2.2 rebounds, and 1.1 assists in 54 games during their championship season, but he never earned a regular rotation spot before getting traded.
Since leaving the Thunder, Jones has bounced between the G League and NBA, signing a two-way deal with the Knicks in January before joining the 76ers for training camp and getting waived again in October.
Isaiah Collier is probably the biggest surprise for me, because the Jazz declined his $5.0 million option even though he’s already shown he can be a very good passer at the NBA level.
The Jazz selected Collier with the 29th pick in 2024, and he immediately put up some decent numbers as a rookie, with 8.7 points and 6.3 assists, pretty good production for someone drafted near the end of the first round.
He got even better last season, averaging 11.7 points, 2.5 rebounds, and 7.2 assists while shooting 49.5% from the field, and he finished the year with 423 assists in 59 games.
The playmaking is awesome for a young guard, and I honestly think those numbers should’ve been enough for the Jazz to at least consider keeping his option, especially when we’re talking about only $5.0 million.
But Collier’s role has shrunk, because the Jazz are giving Darryn Peterson the keys to the entire backcourt, but he’s still averaging 7.4 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 5.1 assists in just 17.6 minutes per game.
Well, first, there’s so much young talent coming into the league every year that teams simply don’t have time to wait anymore. If you’re not producing early, there’s probably another young player ready to take your spot, and that’s exactly why I think expansion is becoming necessary, with 30 teams clearly struggling to find enough roster spots and minutes for everybody.
The other problem is the new CBA, especially the second apron rules, which are making things even harder for young players on contenders. When a team is already spending close to the limit, guaranteeing another $5 million to someone outside the rotation becomes a problem, so even talented prospects can lose their options just because their teams need to save money.
And that’s my biggest takeaway from these 11 decisions. Some players simply haven’t been good enough, but others haven’t even had a proper chance to develop, and with this much talent entering the NBA and teams becoming more careful with their payrolls, young players are running out of opportunities much faster than before.
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