The biggest surprise of the offseason so far has been David West opting out of $12.6 million with the Pacers for next season to take a veteran’s minimum deal with the Spurs. His biggest reason for opting out was wanting to play for a contender, and the Spurs certainly are that, but it’s still a ton of money to leave on the table. However, he’ll have an opportunity to make some of that back up on the back end, with RealGM’s Shams Charania reporting that the second year of his two-year deal is a player option:
David West's San Antonio Spurs contract now includes a second year at his option, sources tell RealGM. Of course, he assuredly opts out.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 18, 2015
Next summer, the salary cap will jump by upwards of $20 million. If West is productive in San Antonio, and there’s no reason to think he won’t be, there will be plenty of money for him to make next summer, whether it’s in San Antonio or someone else. If the Spurs win the title this year, he could decide to take the biggest deal next summer to recoup the money he gave up this year. San Antonio will have an opportunity to give him a nice raise too, if he wants to stay.