Nets restricted free agent forward Trendon Watford has accepted his one-year qualifying offer, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link).
The move will lock in Watford’s $2,726,603 salary for the 2024/25 season, putting him on track to reach unrestricted free agency a year from now.
Watford, 23, spent his first two NBA season in Portland from 2021-23, but was waived by the Trail Blazers last summer before his 2023/24 salary could become guaranteed. He caught on with Brooklyn and appeared in a career-high 63 regular season games, averaging 6.9 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 1.3 assists in 13.6 minutes per contest, with a shooting line of .527/.397/.794.
Because he only had three years of NBA experience under his belt, Watford remained eligible for restricted free agency this offseason, and the Nets took advantage by issuing him a qualifying offer ahead of the June 29 deadline. Signing that QO means that the former LSU standout will have the ability to veto any trade involving him during the 2024/25 league year.
With Watford back under contract, Brooklyn will be carrying 12 players on guaranteed deals, plus Mamadi Diakite and Jalen Wilson on partially guaranteed salaries.
With Watford off the board, Isaac Okoro is the only remaining restricted free agent who didn’t finish last season on a two-way contract.
RFA is even worse now, probably…he otherwise would have been signed
This NBA-Welfare scheme really needs adjustment if we’re being honest. This thing where 5% of the league makes the max, another 10% get paid and literally everybody else is locked into rookie scales and vet minimums is kind of rididulous.
What I would suggest is (1) increasing the cap/floor/aprons pretty decently and (2) reducing the max level and percentage commensurately so the numbers stay comparable. Max guys deserve their money, but the role players also deserve teams having the ability to pay them more based on what they bring.
Watford is a quality role player with some upside. He shouldn’t be making less money than Taj Gibson is gonna get paid to be a vibes guy in the locker room.
And also… if we want players to stop signing deals and then demanding trades, get rid of this nonsense where their team can offer more than anybody else. And the non-Bird BS. These schemes were all designed to prevent Front Offices from signing stupid contracts and/or losing players that they’ve mismanaged for nothing. Enough hand-holding. These front offices are supposed to be full of the most qualified, skilled people on Earth. If they want to sign dumb contracts, trade away all their picks and alienate their players, then let them suck and learn from it.
The issue is we should have expanded 1-2 years ago
Over time the new CBA will address about half of what you just said.
Using the leauges metrics which are different from mine the minimum 126 salary floor will be about roughly 140 two years from right now.
Like 136 – 138. Most of the increase will go to the bottom end.
The talent pool of unsigned vets seems like it could field 2. More nba teams
Vegas
N Seattle ahem ??
It’s happening once BronBron retires – 2026 or 2027