Guard Dion Waiters and the Oklahoma City Thunder are actively exploring a contract extension with the Nov. 2 deadline looming, league sources told Yahoo Sports.
Waiters, 23, has been enthusiastic about working toward a deal with the Thunder, eager to compete on a contender and comfortable with his growth in a strong atmosphere for player development.
As part of the NBA’s 2012 draft class, Waiters is eligible to extend his deal. Waiters’ agent, Rob Pelinka, and Thunder general manager Sam Presti have met and had ongoing discussions on the deal over the past several weeks, league sources said.
If the deadline passes without an agreement, Waiters becomes a restricted free agent in 2016 when salary caps will rise dramatically. Waiters’ market value could escalate further with another productive season as part of the Thunder’s pursuit of a title.
Several players – including Anthony Davis, Damian Lillard, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, John Henson and Jonas Valanciunas – have reached rookie extensions. Talks have been ongoing with several others, including Detroit’s Andre Drummond, Golden State’s Harrison Barnes and Toronto’s Terrence Ross.
After getting traded from Cleveland midseason in 2014-15, Waiters assimilated well into the Thunder’s roster, averaging 12.7 points in 30.3 minutes per game. He was the fourth overall pick by the Cavaliers in the 2012 draft.
Oklahoma City has signed several members of its young core to contract extensions in recent months, including Enes Kanter (four years, $70 million) and Kyle Singler (four years, $25 million).
Oklahoma City has been working to solidify its young core long term as the franchise works toward re-signing star Kevin Durant next summer.
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