<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">The Detroit Pistons are planning on picking up their fourth year option on small forward Tayshaun Prince. He's going into the third year of a three-year deal, worth $3.5 million. Prince came into his own all of last year, and became one of the most promising young players in the NBA with his heady play in the playoffs.</div> Full Story
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Trip:</div><div class="quote_post">No surprise again. In fact, most teams keep the fourth year options on their first round picks.</div>Yeah if they want to match contract offers to retain their own players they drafted. I think if the 4th year options aren't exercised or the player doesn't agree to them, they don't get a qualifying offer and have to go directly to the free agent market to earn their dough. I forget how it works. But the team needs it to have the leverage over their player so they have a chance to keep him. I think this is how realgm.com explains it "The players no longer have the same type of leverage. Under the new CBA, teams have the options of the 4th year for their 1st Round Picks (teams have until Oct 31, 2000 to exercise the 4th year options for the class of 1998). Just before the 4th year, the teams have the exclusive option to sign the players to long term (up to 6 years) and if this doesn't work, the teams have the exclusive option to make the players Restricted Free Agents after the 4th year. To do this, all the team has to do is submit a Qualifying Offer to the former 1st Rounder and then the player becomes a Restricted Free Agent. If another team signs their player to an offer sheet, all the team needs to do match the offer sheet... and then the player belongs to the original team for the terms as the offer sheet. "
