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 by June 29. 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 all the players believed to be eligible to receive qualifying offers this season, with details on which players did and didn’t get them. Our list is based on information from RealGM’s official NBA transactions log, along with various reports leading up to Saturday’s deadline.
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:
- D’Angelo Russell, Nets ($9,160,706)
- Willie Cauley-Stein, Kings ($6,265,631)
- Kelly Oubre, Suns ($4,915,726)
- Trey Lyles, Nuggets ($4,485,665)
- Kristaps Porzingis, Mavericks ($4,485,665)
- Terry Rozier, Celtics ($4,285,798)
- Tomas Satoransky, Wizards ($3,911,484)
- Delon Wright, Grizzlies ($3,635,375)
- Bobby Portis, Wizards ($3,611,813)
- Tyus Jones, Timberwolves ($3,573,205)
- Malcolm Brogdon, Bucks ($3,021,354)
- Thomas Bryant, Wizards ($3,021,354)
- Rodney McGruder, Clippers ($3,021,354)
- Quinn Cook, Warriors ($1,931,189)
- Dorian Finney-Smith, Mavericks ($1,931,189)
- Jake Layman, Trail Blazers ($1,931,189)
- Ivica Zubac, Clippers ($1,931,189)
- Danuel House, Rockets ($1,878,854)
- Patrick McCaw, Raptors ($1,878,854)
- Nando De Colo, Raptors ($1,828,750)
- Ryan Arcidiacono, Bulls ($1,820,564)
- Jordan Bell, Warriors ($1,820,564)
- Khem Birch, Magic ($1,820,564)
- Maxi Kleber, Mavericks ($1,820,564)
- Edmond Sumner, Pacers ($1,820,564)
- Daniel Theis, Celtics ($1,820,564)
- Theo Pinson, Nets ($1,645,697)
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.
- Alex Caruso, Lakers ($1,620,564)
- Note: Because he has spent two years on a two-way contract with the Lakers, Caruso’s qualifying offer is a one-year, minimum-salary contract with at least his two-way salary guaranteed.
- Note: Because he has spent two years on a two-way contract with the Lakers, Caruso’s qualifying offer is a one-year, minimum-salary contract with at least his two-way salary guaranteed.
- Johnathan Williams, Lakers
- Amile Jefferson, Magic
- Brandon Goodwin, Nuggets
- Damion Lee, Warriors
Did not receive qualifying offers:
Players on standard contracts:
- David Nwaba, Cavaliers
- Wayne Selden, Bulls
- Jonathan Gibson, Celtics
- Brad Wanamaker, Celtics
- Tyler Dorsey, Grizzlies
- Justin Anderson, Hawks
- Isaac Humphries, Hawks
- Frank Kaminsky, Hornets
- Henry Ellenson, Knicks
- Billy Garrett, Knicks
- Luke Kornet, Knicks
- Emmanuel Mudiay, Knicks
- Jerian Grant, Magic
- Jarell Martin, Magic
- Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, Nets
- Cheick Diallo, Pelicans
- Stanley Johnson, Pelicans
- Ray Spalding, Suns
- Mitch Creek, Timberwolves
- Sam Dekker, Wizards
- Chasson Randle, Wizards
Players on two-way contracts:
Note: Several players on two-way contracts reportedly signed two-year deals, making them ineligible for free agency this summer. They remain under contract. Additionally, some of the players listed below may have not spent enough time on an NBA active roster to be eligible for a qualifying offer.
- Rawle Alkins, Bulls
- Brandon Sampson, Bulls
- Deng Adel, Cavaliers
- Jaron Blossomgame, Cavaliers
- Angel Delgado, Clippers
- PJ Dozier, Celtics
- R.J. Hunter, Celtics
- Johnathan Motley, Clippers
- Alex Poythress, Hawks
- Joe Chealey, Hornets
- J.P. Macura, Hornets
- Tyler Cavanaugh, Jazz
- Naz Mitrou-Long, Jazz
- Troy Williams, Kings
- Isaiah Hicks, Knicks
- Alan Williams, Nets
- Davon Reed, Pacers
- Kalin Lucas, Pistons
- Isaiah Whitehead, Pistons
- Trevon Duval, Rockets
- Vince Edwards, Rockets
- Ben Moore, Spurs
- Jawun Evans, Thunder
- Jared Terrell, Timberwolves
- C.J. Williams, Timberwolves
- Marcus Derrickson, Warriors
Salary information from Basketball Insiders was used in the creation of this post. Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
So here Brogdon’s cap hold is listed as $3,021,354, which is the figure I’d seen until last night, when the Bucks offered him the QO. Now it’s being reported as $1,931,189. Which is it?
It’s $3,021,354. It would have been $1,931,189 if he hadn’t met the starter criteria. Some databases haven’t updated it yet.
With regards to two way players, I have a couple listed who you guys have not clarified. Troy Caupain (ORL), George King (PHX) and Trevon Blueitt (NOP)
I don’t believe they were eligible for QOs since they didn’t reach the minimum days-on-the-active-roster threshold.
So they just become straight up unrestricted?
Yep. I actually think a few of the other guys I listed in the two-way section here fit the same bill, but it’s really hard to track two-way transfers through the year since they’re not publicly logged like G League assignments/recalls are.