2021 NBA Qualifying Offer Recap

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 August 1 deadline, along with information 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:

• Lonzo Ball, Pelicans ($14,359,936)
• Lauri Markkanen, Bulls ($9,026,852)
• Jarrett Allen, Cavaliers ($7,705,447)
• John Collins, Hawks ($7,705,447)
• Josh Hart, Pelicans ($5,236,739)
• Bruce Brown, Nets ($4,736,102)
• Devonte’ Graham, Hornets ($4,736,102)
• Kendrick Nunn, Heat ($4,736,102)
• Duncan Robinson, Heat ($4,736,102)
• Gary Trent Jr., Raptors ($4,736,102)
• Hamidou Diallo, Pistons ($2,079,826)
• Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk, Thunder ($2,079,826)
• Jarred Vanderbilt, Timberwolves ($2,079,826)
• Terence Davis, Kings ($1,897,476)
• Javonte Green, Bulls ($1,897,476)
• Talen Horton-Tucker, Lakers ($1,897,476)
• Nando De Colo, Raptors ($1,828,750)
  • 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.
• Didi Louzada, Pelicans ($1,689,065)
  • Note: The amount of this qualifying offer is based on a 3% salary cap increase and could increase slightly if the cap increases by more than that.
    

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.

• Keita Bates-Diop, Spurs
• Jarrell Brantley, Jazz
  • Note: Brantley’s qualifying offer is a one-year, minimum-salary contract with a partial guarantee equivalent to a two-way salary.
• Armoni Brooks, Rockets
• Amir Coffey, Clippers
• Devon Dotson, Bulls
• Trent Forrest, Jazz
• Josh Hall, Thunder
• Nate Hinton, Mavericks
• Markus Howard, Nuggets
• Frank Jackson, Pistons
  • Note: Jackson’s qualifying offer is a one-year, minimum-salary contract with a partial guarantee equivalent to a two-way salary.
• Anthony Lamb, Rockets
• Saben Lee, Pistons
• Nico Mannion, Warriors
• Garrison Mathews, Wizards
  • Note: Mathews’ qualifying offer is a one-year, minimum-salary contract with a partial guarantee equivalent to a two-way salary.
• Skylar Mays, Hawks
• Jordan McLaughlin, Timberwolves
  • Note: McLaughlin’s qualifying offer is a one-year, minimum-salary contract with a partial guarantee equivalent to a two-way salary.
• Reggie Perry, Nets
• Cassius Stanley, Pacers
• Max Strus, Heat
• Brodric Thomas, Cavaliers
• Killian Tillie, Grizzlies
• Rayjon Tucker, Sixers
• Gabe Vincent, Heat
  • Note: Vincent’s qualifying offer is a one-year, minimum-salary contract with a partial guarantee equivalent to a two-way salary.
• Cassius Winston, Wizards

Did not receive qualifying offers:

Players on standard contracts:

• Thanasis Antetokounmpo, Bucks
• Isaac Bonga, Wizards
• Tony Bradley, Thunder
• Ignas Brazdeikis, Magic
• Zach Collins, Trail Blazers
• Brandon Goodwin, Hawks
• Isaiah Hartenstein, Cavaliers
• Mike James, Nets
• DaQuan Jeffries, Spurs
  • Note: There have been no official announcements or reports on Jeffries’ team option or qualifying offer. In the absence of any updates, our working assumption is that the Spurs led Sunday’s deadlines pass without picking up Jeffries’ option or tendering him a qualifying offer.
• Nicolo Melli, Mavericks
• Malik Monk, Hornets
• Juwan Morgan, Jazz
• Frank Ntilikina, Knicks
• Dennis Smith Jr., Pistons
• Brad Wanamaker, Hornets
• D.J. Wilson, Rockets
• Omer Yurtseven, Heat

Players on two-way contracts:

Note: Some players who finished the season on two-way contracts signed two-year deals, making them ineligible for free agency this summer. They remain under contract. Additionally, some of the players listed below did not have spent enough time on an NBA active roster to be eligible for a qualifying offer.

• Kostas Antetokounmpo, Lakers
• Jordan Bell, Warriors
• Tyler Bey, Mavericks
• Keljin Blevins, Trail Blazers
• Devontae Cacok, Lakers
• Chris Chiozza, Nets
• Gary Clark, Sixers
• Nate Darling, Hornets
• Tacko Fall, Celtics
• Kyle Guy, Kings
• Jared Harper, Knicks
• Shaquille Harrison, Nuggets
• Jaylen Hoard, Thunder
• Justin Jackson, Bucks
• Louis King, Kings
• Nathan Knight, Hawks
• T.J. Leaf, Trail Blazers
• Jeremiah Martin, Cavaliers
• Adam Mokoka, Bulls
• James Nunnally, Pelicans
• Theo Pinson, Knicks
• Chasson Randle, Magic
• Grant Riller, Hornets
• Sindarius Thornwell, Magic
• Axel Toupane, Bucks
• Tremont Waters, Celtics
• Quinndary Weatherspoon, Spurs

Salary information from Basketball Insiders was used in the creation of this post.