Wesley Matthews has exercised his $18.6 million player option with the Dallas Mavericks for the 18-19 season.

Matthews was widely expected to exercise the option as he would have been unlikely to recoup that figure on the open market.

Matthews signed a four-year, $70 million deal with the Mavericks in 2015.

One day after the Thunder were eliminated from their first round series against the Jazz, Carmelo Anthony rejected the possibility of accepting a bench role next season.

"Yeah, I'm not sacrificing no bench role," Anthony said. "That's out of the question."

Anthony struggled at times this season and was particularly limited in the playoffs.

When asked about moving to the second unit, and asking Paul George as he walked by, "Hey, P! They want me to come off the bench!"

Anthony is owed $28 million on the final season of his contract.

Anthony said he's going to have to weigh his basketball happiness with whatever he decides.

"I think for me, my focus would be on kind of figuring out what I want out of the rest of my career, what I want in my future, what am I willing to accept, if I'm willing to accept that at all," Anthony, 34, said. "I think everybody knows that I've sacrificed kind of damned near everything, family, moving here by myself, sacrificed my game for the sake of the team, and was willing to sacrifice anything and everything in order for this situation to work out. So it's something I really have to think about, if I really want to be this type of player, finish out my career as this type of player, knowing that I have so much left in the tank and I bring so much to the game of basketball."

Paul George will be a free agent this offseason after what was an up-and-down season for the Oklahoma City Thunder.

"It was an amazing season," George said. "Really a learning experience. Playing off Russ and Melo [Carmelo Anthony]. Steve-o [Steven Adams]. Seeing what potential is like having [Andre Roberson] out there. It was a lot to be happy about. The fans, city, organization. everything has been unbelievable."

George said "it's too soon" to make any decision.

"I would love to remain a Thunder but that's what this summer is for. We'll address that in the summer," George said.

George said he wasn't necessarily surprised the Thunder exited in the first round.

"I think talent-wise and all of that, but it's our first year playing together," he said. "I understood that coming in. I thought we had a high ceiling to win it, high expectations to win it, but I think you got to really figure out the in-between stuff when you assimilate a team, and that can take some time to unravel how to become a championship team."

George has long been linked to the Los Angeles Lakers, who will have max cap space. George could also consider the Philadelphia 76ers.

Enes Kanter gave another indication that he will opt out of his $18.6 million option with the New York Knicks.

Kanter attended Oklahoma City's Game 5 win over the Jazz, and was asked about how the team couldn't put him on the video screen since that could be interpreted as tampering because he's still on the Knicks.

"Am I? Am I?" asked Kanter.

Kanter was then asked if he's going to opt out.

"Until July 1, yes. We’ll talk to teams. We’ll see," said Kanter.

Kanter was then told that would be tampering.

"Wow. That’s crazy. It’s OK. Whatever. I’ll just get up and just wave. It’s cool, though. I’m excited, though, man. I’m really excited about this watching. It’s gonna be awkward. It’s gonna be weird. Just seeing, just watching my teammates play — ex-teammates — playing basketball. It’s gonna be cool. We’ll see."

Kanter recently hired prominent agent Mark Bartelstein, who said no decision has been reached.

“I wouldn’t read too much into it,’’ Bartelstein told The Post. “We’re still doing our due diligence.’’

Tony Parker will be a free agent this offseason and his future with the San Antonio Spurs is unclear.

Parker will almost certainly be required to take a contract at a reduced rate from his $15.4 million this season.

Parker has taken a reduced role coming off the bench behind Dejounte Murray.

R.C. Buford said the Spurs will make a decision on Parker at the appropriate time.

"We'll see," Parker said. "I said already I want to keep playing. I'm happy I don't have those retirement parties. I want to keep playing, and we'll see if it's in San Antonio. Everybody knows I would love to stay here. But free agency is always crazy, so we'll see."

The San Antonio Spurs hope to have an "all-hands-on-deck" meeting with Kawhi Leonard this offseason, according to sources.

The Spurs plan on meeting with Leonard to gauge whether they two sides can continue their partnership. Gregg Popovich is expected to take the lead.

"Kawhi, everybody asks questions, but he's still here," Danny Green said. "He's still locked in. He's a part of the team until things change."

Leonard missed all but nine games this season due to a quadriceps issue. Leonard has sought extra time rehabilitating in New York.

The decision on whether to offer Leonard a five-year, $219 million supermax extension will be determined by management, current players and ownership. R.C. Buford could have a difficult time convincing Peter Holt and Julianna Hawn Holt, who are undergoing a divorce, that they should offer the extension.

Wojnarowski expounded upon his story during a SportsCenter appearance. 

"The relationship between Kawhi Leonard and the Spurs is broken and it's got to be put back together again before the Spurs make that kind of commitment to a player," said Wojnarowski.

Dwyane Wade was asked about his future following the elimination of the Miami Heat by the Philadelphia 76ers from the 2018 NBA Playoffs.

Wade has essentially conveyed the sentiment that he'll either re-sign with the Heat or retire and that he doesn't plan on playing for another team.

"Ain't gonna be no breaking news," said Wade.

Wade will continue to contemplate his future and make a decision at a later date.

The New Orleans Pelicans have internally discussed offering DeMarcus Cousins a shorter team deal for less than the full max, according to sources.

The Pelicans could offer a two- or three-year deal as Cousins recovers from a torn Achilles.

There will only be a small handful of teams with max cap space this offseason and most won't want to pursue Cousins at a max level.

The Pelicans have leverage over Cousins due to this fact, as well as how well they've played without him.

New Orleans could work out a sign-and-trade with Cousins, though it is difficult to find a logical partner.

LeBron James could become a free agent this offseason but he could also control his destiny in another way by orchestrating an opt-in-and-trade similar to Chris Paul last offseason.

On The Lowe Podcast, Brian Windhorst talked about a scenario in which James could have an extended period of time to work on his offseason plans if the Cavaliers are eliminated from the playoffs before the Finals.

"All I'm going to say is you don't want LeBron to have two months to plot with other players," said Windhorst. "Because, you know, Chris Paul and James Harden have now written the script. While the Finals are going on, if you're not in them, let's just get together in L.A. and plot how you're going to get together. You know, we've gotten in the point in the league where the players have so much power. They can force trades."

When James was a free agent in 2010, the Cavaliers were eliminated in the second round on May 13th.

"LeBron has an option in his contract. I hear people talking about, 'Will it be the "akers?' They go through the four teams with cap space. 'Will it be the Sixers?' If LeBron deems it, he will go to the Cavs, 'You will trade me to team X' and as long as that team isn't trying to force Luol Deng down the Cavs' throat, the Cavs will do the deal because they won't want to lose him for nothing. Just like how the Clippers did not want to trade Chris Paul, but at the end of the day, the alternative was unacceptable.

"If LeBron is left to his own devices and not focused on playing basketball for two months, and he can take meetings with everybody in the league: forget about July 1st, forget about the teams that are going to pitch him. The meetings are going to go down in May and June if LeBron is out of the playoffs. Now, if LeBron is not out of the playoffs and the Cavs get all the way to the Finals, that changes the game quite a bit. 

"We're going to get down to June 29th, that's when LeBron's option date is. In fact, whenever the draft is, the Cavs are going to like, you know, be like, 'LeBron, what are we going to do here?' I don't even know if this is even going to get to July. This could all get mitigated out in June."

While the Philadelphia 76ers have set themselves up to be good for a long time, Joel Embiid believes they are ready to compete now.

"I think our time is now," Embiid said on Monday. ".... We have a special team, a lot of great guys. I don't think we need anybody else. We've just got to work with what we have. We have a special team and I feel like we have a pretty good chance to go far."

The 76ers lead 3-1 over the Heat in their first round series.

Embiid's quote could be in reference to future free agents the 76ers could pursue.

The 76ers have been expected to pursue LeBron James and Paul George.