Players eligible for restricted free agency don’t become restricted free agents by default. In order for a team to make a player a restricted free agent, it must extend a qualifying offer to him. The qualifying offer, which is essentially just a one-year contract offer, varies in amount depending on a player’s previous contract status.
A qualifying offer is designed to give a player’s current team the right of first refusal. Because the qualifying offer acts as the first formal contract offer a free agent receives, his team then has the option to match any offer sheet the player signs with another club. If a player doesn’t receive a qualifying offer, he becomes an unrestricted free agent and is free to sign with any team — his previous club is given no formal opportunity to match.
You can read more about qualifying offers here.
Listed below are the details on which players did and didn’t receive qualifying offers this summer. Our list is based on various reports and team announcements leading up to the June 29 deadline, along with confirmation from RealGM’s official NBA transactions log.
It’s possible that one or two qualifying offers slipped through the cracks and will be reported later today before free agency officially gets underway — if so, we’ll update this list.
For now though, this is what the qualifying offer landscape looks like. The players who received QOs will be restricted free agents, while the players who didn’t will be unrestricted.
Received qualifying offers:
Players on standard contracts:
Note: Qualifying offers marked with an asterisk (*) are based on a projected $123,655,000 salary cap and would increase or decrease if the cap comes in higher or lower than that.
Deandre Ayton, Suns ($16,422,835)- Miles Bridges, Hornets ($7,921,300)
- Marvin Bagley III, Pistons ($7,228,448)
- Collin Sexton, Cavaliers ($7,228,448)
- Lonnie Walker, Spurs ($6,311,564)
- Anfernee Simons, Trail Blazers ($5,758,552)
- Luguentz Dort, Thunder ($4,869,012)
- Jae’Sean Tate, Rockets ($4,869,012)
- Vlatko Cancar, Nuggets ($2,228,276)
- Nic Claxton, Nets ($2,228,276)
- Cody Martin, Hornets ($2,228,276)
- Amir Coffey, Clippers ($2,102,133) *
- Caleb Martin, Heat ($2,102,133) *
- Jordan Nwora, Bucks ($2,102,133) *
- Nando De Colo, Raptors ($2,036,090) *
- Note: De Colo hasn’t played in the NBA since 2014, but the Raptors continue to issue him qualifying offers in order to retain his rights in case he returns to the league.
- Anthony Gill, Wizards ($2,036,090) *
- Kessler Edwards, Nets ($1,837,966) *
- Sam Hauser, Celtics ($1,837,966) *
- Joe Wieskamp, Spurs ($1,837,966) *
Players on two-way contracts:
Note: Qualifying offers for two-way players are one-year, two-way contracts with a $50K guarantee unless otherwise indicated.
- Justin Champagnie, Raptors
- Sharife Cooper, Hawks
- David Duke, Nets
- Malcolm Hill, Bulls
- David Johnson, Raptors
- Nathan Knight, Timberwolves
- Nico Mannion, Warriors
- Note: Mannion didn’t play in the NBA this past season, but the Warriors issued him a qualifying offer in order to retain his rights in case he returns to the league.
- RJ Nembhard, Cavaliers
- Theo Pinson, Mavericks
- Note: Pinson’s qualifying offer is a one-year, minimum-salary contract with a partial guarantee ($86,946).
- Neemias Queta, Kings
- Davon Reed, Nuggets
- Admiral Schofield, Magic
- Brodric Thomas, Celtics
- Quinndary Weatherspoon, Warriors
Did not receive qualifying offers:
Players on standard contracts:
Mohamed Bamba, Magic- Bol Bol, Magic
- Moses Brown, Cavaliers
- Troy Brown, Bulls
- Devontae Cacok, Spurs
- Facundo Campazzo, Nuggets
- Donte DiVincenzo, Kings
- Carsen Edwards, Pistons
- CJ Elleby, Trail Blazers
- Bruno Fernando, Rockets
- Trent Forrest, Jazz
- Luka Garza, Pistons
- Aaron Holiday, Suns
- Elijah Hughes, Trail Blazers
- Kevin Knox, Hawks
- Skylar Mays, Hawks
- Josh Okogie, Timberwolves
- Eric Paschall, Jazz
- Matt Thomas, Bulls
- Juan Toscano-Anderson, Warriors
- Ish Wainright, Suns
Players on two-way contracts:
Note: Some of the players listed below may not have been eligible for a qualifying offer due to the limited time they spent on a two-way contract.
- Keljin Blevins, Trail Blazers
- Ignas Brazdeikis, Magic
- Chris Chiozza, Warriors
- Gary Clark, Pelicans
- Tyler Cook, Bulls
- Melvin Frazier, Thunder
- Brandon Goodwin, Cavaliers
- Jared Harper, Pelicans
- Nate Hinton, Pacers
- Markus Howard, Nuggets
- Mason Jones, Lakers
- Arnoldas Kulboka, Hornets
- Anthony Lamb, Rockets
- Scottie Lewis, Hornets
- Gabriel Lundberg, Suns
- Mac McClung, Lakers
- Xavier Moon, Clippers
- Jamorko Pickett, Pistons
- Yves Pons, Grizzlies
- Myles Powell, Sixers
- Trevelin Queen, Rockets
- Matt Ryan, Celtics
- Jay Scrubb, Clippers
- D.J. Stewart Jr., Spurs
- Lindell Wigginton, Bucks
- Cassius Winston, Wizards
- Robert Woodard, Spurs
- McKinley Wright, Timberwolves
- Moses Wright, Mavericks
- Gabe York, Pacers
Donte DiVincenzo was the biggest shocker to not receive the QO and become an UFA. I’m also surprised that Eric Paschall is now on the open market. He’s a nice consolation prize as a backup PF for a contender that misses out on Thaddeus Young.
I had read that the Celtics weren’t picking up Sam Hauser’s qualifying offer. They were instead going to sign him to a multiple year contract.
They had a team option on him, which they declined, then they gave him a qualifying offer. That made him a restricted free agent (giving them the opportunity to sign him to a new multiyear contract) instead of locking him into an expiring deal.
Oh, ok – that makes sense. Thanks Luke.
“De Colo hasn’t played in the NBA since 2014, but the Raptors continue to issue him qualifying offers in order to retain his rights in case he returns to the league.”
He’s 35 now, isn’t this a bit much?
De Colo averaged 15.3 ppg & 4.7 apg, shooting 45.2% from 3 this season for Fenerbahce. He’s still one of the best point guards outside the NBA at 35.
Qualifying Offer
Restricted Free Agent
Unrestricted Free Agent
Standard Contract
Two-Way Contract
One Year Two-Way Contract
Two Year Two-Way Contract
Contract Extension
Cap Room
Cap Limit
Sign-and-Trade
Bird Rights
Hard Cap
Tax Apron
Previous Contract Status
Minimum Salary Contract
Maximum Salary Contract
Taxpayer Mid-Level Exemption
Trade Exemption
Salary Dump
Base Year Compensation Rule
Incoming Salary
Outgoing Salary
Salary-Matching
Sending Out Salary
Over the Cap
Buyout Agreement
Veteran’s Minimum Salary
Dead Money
Dead Money Stretch
Guaranteed Contract
Non-Guaranteed Contract
Player Option
Team Option
Mutual Option
Guarantee Date
Summer League
G League
Lottery Pick
Mini-Camp
Opt In
Luxury Tax
Bi-Annual Exemption
Rookie Scale Salary
Exhibit 10 Contract
OK – This sport is about 5 guys on offense trying to shoot a basketball through a hoop while 5 guys on defense try to keep them from doing just that.
HOW did this NBA get so COMPLICATED?
There is more to know off the court than on.
There is more action off the court than on.
Bravo!
Value MVPs:
Category 1: many… First 14 are keepers. 19 OK.
Cat.2: Davon Reed, seemingly every year
Cat.3: Aaron Holiday (Bamba #1)
Cat.4: Gary Clark. Also the moms of Travelin Queen & Xavier Moon. (their stats check)
Cavs could offer their MLE to Dort, Tate, Claxton, or either Martin, or half that to Cancar or Coffey, and Im good with it.
The ones before them will want more.