KJ McDaniels' Nets Team Option Reportedly to Be Declined; Will Become Free Agent

K.J. McDaniels is reportedly heading to free agency this offseason.

On Sunday, Shams Charania of The Vertical cited sources who said the Brooklyn Nets plan on declining their team option on the swingman's contract, which will make him a free agent after he appeared in just 20 games with the team.

According to Spotrac, the team option would be worth slightly less than $3.5 million for the 2017-18 campaign if it had been exercised.  

The Houston Rockets traded McDaniels to the Nets during the 2016-17 season to open up additional cap space. He averaged just 2.8 points a night in his 29 games for Houston during the year but was slightly better in his 20 with Brooklyn following the trade with 6.3 points per game behind 45.5 percent shooting from the field.

He is yet to replicate his impact during a 52-game stint with the Philadelphia 76ers as a rookie when he tallied 9.2 points and 3.8 rebounds a night and appeared well on his way to becoming an impact player at the NBA level.

There is still plenty to like about McDaniels as he heads to the free agency market. He is just 24 years old, and opponents shot 4.9 percent worse than their overall averages when he guarded them in 2016-17, per NBA.com. At 6'6", he can guard shooting guards or small forwards as a versatile defender.

While he is not going to be the single difference between a title or not, he can serve as a solid rotational player who brings perimeter defense on a nightly basis off the bench.