Throughout last season as Mike Conley struggled to find consistency in his first year with the Utah Jazz, there was some talk among fans that the veteran point guard might opt to go elsewhere for the 2020-21 campaign.
Conley, after all, has a somewhat unique early termination option in his contract that allows him to opt out of the final year of his deal this year. If exercised, he could have become an unrestricted free agent this offseason. If he did nothing, he was automatically on the Jazz’s books for approximately $34.5 million.
On Thursday, Yahoo’s Chris Haynes reported that Conley won’t exercise the option.
While exercising the option could have given Conley freedom to go elsewhere if he wanted, he wouldn’t have been able to get a contract worth anywhere near the $34.5 million he’s due next season.
The 33-year-old Conley ended up averaging 14.4 points, 4.4 assists and 3.2 rebounds in exactly 29 minutes per contest last season. He did come on stronger in Utah’s lone playoff series, where he averaged 19.8 points, 5.2 assists and 2.8 rebounds in 33.2 minutes per game.