With the qualifying offer deadline just a few days away, several more players have been tendered QOs by their respective teams, which will ensure that they become restricted free agents (rather than unrestricted) on the evening of June 30. Those players are as follows:
- Kelly Oubre Jr., Suns ($4,915,726), via ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link)
- Delon Wright, Grizzlies ($3,635,375), via Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link)
- Dorian Finney-Smith, Mavericks ($1,931,189), via ESPN’s Tim MacMahon (Twitter link)
- Maxi Kleber, Mavericks ($1,818,486), via MacMahon
Oubre’s name is the most interesting one in the bunch. Wojnarowski suggests that the former Wizard will be a candidate for a significant offer sheet, especially from a team with cap room that misses out on a high-profile unrestricted free agent.
As long as Oubre remains on the Suns‘ books, he’ll carry a cap hit in the neighborhood of $9.63MM, which will cut into the club’s projected cap room. Once they acquire Aron Baynes and Dario Saric and move T.J. Warren, the Suns project to have about $14MM in cap space. That number would increase to about $23MM if Phoenix were to renounce Oubre.
Wright had a strong finish to the season for the Grizzlies after being acquired in the Marc Gasol trade at the deadline, averaging 12.2 PPG, 5.4 RPG, and 5.3 APG in 26 games for Memphis. With Mike Conley headed to Utah, Wright could be re-signed to share point guard duties with No. 2 overall pick Ja Morant.
As for Finney-Smith and Kleber, the Mavericks view them as quality role players who will fit in well with franchise cornerstones Luka Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis, says MacMahon. Because both players have such modest cap holds, they won’t compromise the team’s flexibility on the open market.
Dallas could keep those holds on the team’s books and eventually go over the cap to re-sign Finney-Smith and Kleber to new deals. The Mavs have Bird rights for Finney-Smith and Early Bird rights for Kleber.
I have zero idea why the Suns acquired Saric and Baynes. Both mind boggling.
Saric is not a perfect fit but they needed someone like him and the cost was reasonable, a #6/#11 switch. I question Cam Johnson as the pick though at #11.
It took getting Baynes to get Ty Jerome. That trade was a win.
DFS and Kleber will definitely be welcome back in Dallas. Solid players