Andray Blatche has decided to opt out of his player option worth just 1.4 million for the 2014-15 season and will become an unrestricted free agent in July. For quite some time, Blatche has indicated that he’d likely search for a long term deal following this season.
Since joining the Nets in 2012, Blatche has received amnesty payments from the Washington Wizards– allowing him to take a smaller contract to play with a contender. Blatche will command more than the MLE on the open market following another solid season that saw him average 11.2 points and 5.3 rebounds over 22 minutes per game. If the Nets so choose, they hold Blatche’s Early Bird Rights, meaning they could offer a new deal up to 25 million over 4 years.
Recent rumors have cited a mutual interest between Blatche and the New Orleans Pelicans. With the development of Mason Plumlee and Mirza Teletovic and the likely returns of Kevin Garnett and Brook Lopez, Blatche may take a deal with another team that guarantees more playing time moving forward.
