Mason Plumlee Extension Eligible

Four words you never thought you would think about, but you should.

Mason Plumlee doesn’t care how unpopular he might be among fans. Going into his second season in Charlotte he is used to fans clamouring for Nick Richards, Kai Jones and Mark Williams to get more playing time. Despite turning 33 in March, Mason Plumlee is having a resurgent year excelling in Steve Clifford’s system. Plumlee has noticeably improved his rebounding, interior scoring and creation for others, not to mention his free throw shooting which has jumped from 39% to 59%.

Plumlee is in the last year of his 3-year $24.6 deal originally given to him by Detroit GM Troy Weaver. Due to being on an expiring contract, there has been an assumption by  fans he could be traded at this year’s February deadline. this expectation is reasonable, especially if the Hornets are out of the playoff race by the time of the trade deadline. Plumlee would be a good addition for several playoff teams looking for a capable backup. The Nuggets, Clippers and Heat are relying on a cast of unreliable bigs in Zeke Nnaji, Moses Brown and Dewane Dedmon could be well suited trade partners. But what would Plumlee bring back, another second round pick? What if I said there was another option. What if fans are thinking about this situation completely differently to management?

Mason Plumlee is extension eligible.

Plumlee is playing on the third year and final year of his contract, the CBA extension rules mean he can sign an extension (Up to a minimum of two years) for up to 120% of the last year of his contract. His maximum per year salary would be in the $10-11 range. This extension can be signed up to June 30^th 2023, the last day of the NBA’s 22-23 financial year.

Receiving a contract towards the top end of that extension is unlikely, I don’t see how Plumlee could be in for a raise on his current salary considering his level of play and being three years older. Let’s face it, you don’t want to be paying 8 figures for a “Should be” back-up center for their age 33-36 seasons. If you look at the summer of 2022 you can see the market for quality back-up bigs; Isaiah Hartenstein $8 million, JaVale McGee $5.5 million, Zach Collins $7.4 million, all were in the $4-8 range which feels right.

Now I know what you’re thinking, why would the Hornets give Plumlee an extension with a potential breakout player in Nick Richards and former two 1^st round picks in Kai Jones and Mark Williams on the roster? The answer; because they’re the Hornets. If there’s one thing I know about owner Michael Jordan, GM Mitch Kupchak and head coach Steve Clifford they’re not going to start another rebuild and spoon-feed young players playing time. I struggle to see a world where they go into the 22-23 season with the current assortment of young guys as their only center options when they have playoff aspirations.

Management might decide to move on from Plumlee and have their eyes set on 2023 Free Agency for an upgrade. The CAP space possibilities open to them will largely be dependent on how the Miles Bridges situation is resolved. Assuming no major moves are made at the deadline they project to have around $21 million in space. This could be enough for Potential starters such are Nikola Vucevic, Myles Turner, Jakob Poeltl, Draymond Green, Brook Lopez. If Charlotte decide to focus their CAP space on another position, they will be turning to a particularly barren backup center market for veteran experience. A familiar set of names from previous free agencies such as Nerlens Noel, Andre Drummond and Robin Lopez await, Dwight Powell is maybe the most interesting. So if the Hornets do go down the back-up route ask yourself, would you rather have Plumlee or one of those backup names above?

Overall, my stance on Plumlee is the same as it was the night Charlotte traded for him on the night of the 2021 NBA Draft. I think Plumlee is a good backup center option for a playoff team. He can help second units run efficient offense with his distribution, be a physical presence on both ends and play within a scheme. I think fans would find a newfound appreciation for his effort, consistency and execution in a smaller role in Charlotte. If the goal is to compete next year, which it will be, then I would at least understand bringing Plumlee back in Charlotte as a veteran backup at a reduced price. However, my overriding feeling is the team would be better off gambling that two of Richards, Jones or Williams can step into the role next season given the opportunity, chase the upside Mitch! But everyone should at least open their mind that Plumlee being back in Charlotte is at least a possibility.