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Potential 2017 RFAs Whose Qualifying Offers Will Be Impacted By Starter Criteria

April 7th, 2017 at 11:22am CST by Luke Adams

The NBA’s new Collective Bargaining Agreement, which will go into effect on July 1, 2017, includes a number of changes to the free agent process, including some that apply specifically to restricted free agents. However, one aspect of restricted free agency unaffected by the new CBA is what’s referred to as the “starter criteria,” which can affect how much an RFA’s qualifying offer will be worth.

Here’s how the starter criteria works: A player who is eligible for restricted free agency is considered to have met the starter criteria if he plays at least 2,000 minutes or starts 41 games in the season before he reaches free agency. A player can also meet the criteria if he averages either of those marks in the two seasons prior to his restricted free agency. For instance, if a player started 50 games in 2015/16 and 35 in 2016/17, he’d meet the starter criteria, since his average number of starts over the last two seasons exceeds 41.

A player’s ability or inability to meet the starter criteria can affect the value of the qualifying offer he receives as a restricted free agent, as follows:

  • A top-14 pick who does not meet the starter criteria will receive a qualifying offer equal to the amount the 15th overall pick would receive if he signed for 120% of the rookie scale.
  • A player picked between 10th and 30th who meets the criteria will receive a qualifying offer equal to the amount the ninth overall pick would receive if he signed for 120% of the rookie scale.
  • A second-round pick or undrafted player who meets the criteria will receive a qualifying offer equal to the amount the 21st overall pick would receive if he signed for 100% of the rookie scale.
  • For all other RFAs, the standard criteria determine the amounts of their qualifying offers.

Extending a qualifying offer to a player ensures that a team has the right of first refusal if he signs an offer sheet, and gives the player the option of signing that one-year QO. Generally, the value of a restricted free agent’s qualifying offer isn’t hugely important, since very few RFAs accept those offers outright. Still, those QOs can have an impact on a team’s salary cap outlook during July’s free agent period, so it’s worth checking in to see which potential RFAs will be eligible for higher or lower qualifying offers this summer.

Listed below are the top-14 picks on track for restricted free agency who have not met the starter criteria. These players will be eligible for qualifying offers worth $4,187,598.

Len and Noel had the worst QO luck this season. As the fifth and sixth overall picks in 2013, they would have been in line for qualifying offers worth about $6.4MM and $5.85MM, respectively. Instead, their QOs will be worth less than $4.2MM. Both players were very close to meeting the starter criteria too — they’ve started 77 games apiece in the past two years, so they’ll fall just short of the 82 required.

The players listed below are non-lottery first-round picks who will meet the starter criteria. That will make each of them eligible for a qualifying offer worth $4,588,840.

All four of these players were selected in the 20-26 range in the 2013 draft, and their QOs would’ve ranged from about $3.39MM to $3.22MM if they hadn’t met the starter criteria.

Here are the rest of the RFAs whose qualifying offers won’t necessarily be determined by the standard criteria:

  • Undrafted power forward JaMychal Green (Grizzlies) has met the starter criteria, putting him in line for a QO worth $2,820,497 instead of the more modest amount he would’ve received as a minimum-salary player.
  • Two players – Joe Ingles (Jazz) and Ben McLemore (Kings) – still have a chance to meet the starter criteria depending on how the season’s last four days play out. Ingles has played 1,848 minutes this season, meaning he would have to average about 38 MPG in Utah’s last four contests to reach 2,000, which is a tall order. McLemore may fall just short as well, as he currently sits at 79 starts over the last two seasons. He’ll need to start three of the Kings’ last four games in order to average 41 starts per year, but he has only been in Sacramento’s starting lineup twice since the start of March. (End-of-season update: Neither Ingles nor McLemore met the starter criteria.)
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Free Agent Rumors: Teague, Rose, Olynyk, Waiters

March 23rd, 2017 at 12:26pm CST by Luke Adams

Much has been made of Paul George‘s approaching free agency, but the Pacers star won’t be eligible to hit the open market until 2018. Another key Indiana player – Jeff Teague – will see his contract expire this summer, and if Teague leaves the Pacers as a free agent, that probably increases the likelihood of a George departure as well, writes Sean Deveney of The Sporting News.

One league source who spoke to Deveney predicted that Teague will seek a contract close to the max, pointing to Mike Conley‘s five-year, $150MM+ deal with the Grizzlies as one that Teague’s camp will probably bring up in contract negotiations. However, Deveney notes that Teague grew up in Indianapolis and would like to stay with the Pacers, which means a hometown discount isn’t out of the realm of possibility.

Here are a few more notes from around the NBA related to current free agents or players whose contracts will be up this summer:

  • In a video for The Vertical, Bobby Marks and Chris Mannix identify Knicks point guard Derrick Rose and Celtics big man Kelly Olynyk as two free agents whose value is very hard to pin down. Mannix suggests he wouldn’t commit to Rose for more than one or two years, while the duo agrees that Olynyk will likely command an annual salary worth at least $10MM, a substantial price to pay for a player whose production has been inconsistent.
  • It has been a tale of two seasons for Dion Waiters, who is enjoying perhaps his best year as a pro in Miami, but has also been slowed by various injuries, including the ankle sprain that currently sidelines him. Still, Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel doesn’t expect those injuries to give the Heat much additional leverage in contract talks this summer with Waiters, since they’re not serious, long-term ailments.
  • Former NBA players Solomon Jones and Jarnell Stokes are currently NBA free agents, but both players have signed D-League contracts, according to Chris Reichert of The Step Back (Twitter links). Stokes’ D-League rights are held by Sioux Falls, so last year’s NBADL will return to the Skyforce. The club waived former NBA center Johan Petro in a corresponding move.
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Atlantic Notes: Rambis, Atkinson, Whitehead, Olynyk

November 9th, 2016 at 7:17pm CST by Arthur Hill

A day after taking over as the Knicks‘ defensive coordinator, Kurt Rambis told Marc Berman of The New York Post that the team’s roster shakeup is part of the problem. New York has given up more than 100 points in every game this season, so head coach Jeff Hornacek appointed Rambis on Tuesday to solve the problem. “We got 10 new guys, so everything is a work in progress,’’ Rambis said. “If we had everybody healthy and everybody here and playing, it still was going to be a process and take some time. Just simple terminology. It may be the same defensive action, but everyone calls it something different. So it’s just getting everyone knowing the same terminology and play calls, so everybody’s on the same page. Everybody’s got to be on the string. It takes all five guys to stop a pick-and-roll situation in this league. Everyone’s got to be communicating well. Right now we’re not connected.’’

There’s more out of the Atlantic Division:

  • Kenny Atkinson’s motion offense is making a difference for the Nets, according to NetsDaily. Through its first seven games, Brooklyn has increased its pace of play more than any other team and is leading the league with 333 passes per game. Per 48 minutes, the Nets are averaging 6.2 more possessions each game than they did a year ago. Atkinson has also placed a greater emphasis on shooting 3-pointers, and the Nets are now taking 39.5% of their shots from long distance, compared to 21.8% last season.
  • Nets rookie point guard Isaiah Whitehead was diagnosed with a concussion, the team announced today. Whitehead will go through the NBA’s concussion protocols and will be sidelined until his symptoms are gone. Losing Whitehead was part of the reason that the Nets re-signed Yogi Ferrell this afternoon.
  • Celtics center Kelly Olynyk is seeing his first action of the season in tonight’s game with the Wizards, writes A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNMidAtlantic. This is the first time on the court since last year’s playoffs for Olynyk, who underwent surgery on his right shoulder in May. “He’s a good player,” coach Brad Stevens said. “He’s helped us win in the past. He brings a skillset on offense and an understanding on defense that will benefit us.” Boston has been shorthanded in the front court with Al Horford recovering from a concussion and Jae Crowder out for at least another week with a sprained ankle.
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Atlantic Notes: Poeltl, Rose, Noel, Olynyk

November 6th, 2016 at 6:05pm CST by Arthur Hill

Jakob Poeltl got his first NBA start tonight, but the Raptors rookie was already ahead of schedule, writes Ryan Wolstat of The Toronto Sun. The ninth pick in the NBA draft, Poeltl quickly moved up in the rotation after injuries to Jared Sullinger and Lucas Nogueira. A knee contusion to center Jonas Valanciunas pushed Poeltl into emergency starting duty, but the 7-footer has shown signs that he’s ready for the challenge. “How hard he plays, his physicality, how big his hands are once he gets the ball on his hands, his IQ is definitely there and the more experience he gets, the better he is going to be,” said teammate DeMar DeRozan. “He’s got that toughness when he’s out there playing, it’s great. That resilience and (he’s) willing to learn.”

There’s more from the Atlantic Division:

  • Knicks newcomer Courtney Lee questioned the team’s defensive practice habits last week, and now his backcourt partner is blasting the game effort, relays Marc Berman of The New York Post. Derrick Rose cited poor communication on defense after New York let a 13-point lead get away in this afternoon’s loss to Utah. “I always said it’s our defense with our team that will spark everything,’’ Rose said. “Our defense is everything. Offensively we’re going to be fine. It’s definitely everybody being on a string, everybody communicating, everybody on the same page.’’ Lee claimed the Knicks are weak on defending pick-and-rolls because they only practice against the triangle.
  • Now that Sixers power forward Nerlens Noel is assured of being a restricted free agent next summer, he could be a tempting target for the Celtics, writes Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe. Washburn says the Boston front office has been fans of Noel for some time and likes the idea of pairing him with Al Horford.
  • The Celtics decided against giving an extension to Kelly Olynyk because they want to see if he can stay healthy for a whole season and if he responds to having a defined role, Washburn notes in the same piece.
  • The Celtics let R.J. Hunter go before the start of the season in part because of a crowded roster, but some of his former teammates in Boston believe he will develop as a sharpshooter if given the opportunity, Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald writes. Hunter signed with the Bulls in late October after the Celtics waived him. The 23-year-old appeared in 36 games for the Celtics last year and made several trips to the D-League.

Will Joseph contributed to this posting.

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NBA D-League Assignments/Recalls: 11/4/16

November 4th, 2016 at 10:30pm CST by Luke Adams

Here are Friday’s D-League assignments and recalls from around the league:

10:30pm:

  • The Celtics announced via press release that Kelly Olynyk and Demetrius Jackson were assigned to the Maine Red Claws for practice purposes earlier today and later recalled to Boston by the team. Jackson has yet to see any regular season action in his rookie campaign, while Olynyk is still making his way back from offseason shoulder surgery.

11:32am:

  • That was fast. After announcing this morning that they had assigned former first-round pick Bruno Caboclo to the D-League, the Raptors confirmed a few hours later that Caboclo has been recalled (Twitter links). The 21-year-old was briefly sent to the Raptors 905 to participate in today’s practice.
  • A day after assigning him to the Salt Lake City Stars, the Jazz have recalled rookie forward Joel Bolomboy for their game tonight against the Spurs, the team announced in a press release.
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Atlantic Notes: Olynyk, J. Young, Nets, Knicks

November 2nd, 2016 at 9:01am CST by Luke Adams

The Celtics made a pair of interesting decisions on October 31, opting not to exercise James Young‘s fourth-year option for 2017/18, and letting Kelly Olynyk‘s extension deadline pass without a new deal. The moves will put Young on track for unrestricted free agency in 2017 and Olynyk on track for restricted free agency. As general manager Danny Ainge explains, per Adam Himmselbach of The Boston Globe, retaining future cap flexibility was a factor in the Olynyk decision.

“If we didn’t have max cap flexibility next summer and the possibility to land a superstar-type player, an All-Star-caliber player, it might have been different in our negotiations,” the Celtics GM said. “But because we still are there, with where we are in cap management, there was no reason to rush into it.”

As for Young, Ainge suggested that the Celtics really like where he is at the moment, but want to wait to see “how he progresses” this season. The GM also observed that the third-year veteran can take solace in the fact that it has been a “great blessing” for a handful of players to have that option declined. Solomon Hill is one recent example — he inked a four-year, $48MM contract this past summer with the Pelicans after the Pacers declined his fourth-year option a year ago.

Here’s more from around the Atlantic division:

  • The Nets overhauled their point guard spot this offseason, and though Jeremy Lin has been solid as the team’s starter so far, the team’s second and third options at the position are off to slow starts. As Brian Lewis of The New York Post details, veteran Greivis Vasquez has struggled to produce and has been nagged by an ankle injury, while rookie Isaiah Whitehead doesn’t look ready for significant minutes quite yet.
  • The other notable new point guard in New York, Derrick Rose, only has six assists in his first three games with the Knicks, but his scoring and shooting numbers are solid. Fred Kerber of The New York Post suggests Rose is poised to make a strong impression this season in New York, given the team’s recent point guard history — the team has gone through 21 players at the position since Rose entered the NBA in 2008.
  • As Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News outlines, former head coach and current ESPN analyst Byron Scott questioned Phil Jackson‘s role in New York, where the Zen Master has been attending Knicks’ coaches meetings and giving input to players. “You hired [Jeff Hornacek] to be your coach, let him be your coach,” Scott said. “Kind of stay out a little bit. If you want to coach, fire him and take over like you did Derek Fisher. It’s really that simple. I think right now if I was Jeff, I would feel a little uncomfortable. I would feel some flames underneath my feet.”
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Eastern Notes: Olynyk, Bradley, Stuckey

November 1st, 2016 at 7:34pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Celtics center Kelly Olynyk will be out of action a while longer as he makes his way back from offseason shoulder surgery, Steve Bulpett of The Boston Herald relays. “I think we’re going to have to give it a few more weeks, get it as strong as you can and feel like you’re comfortable and ready to play and can take anything that’s thrown at you,” said Olynyk, who underwent the procedure on his shoulder May 16th. “I think that’s probably what it’ll be. It’s when you feel ready to play, man. When you feel strong, feel confident, feel like you’re coming in to help the team.”

In other Boston injury news, guard Avery Bradley was forced to sit out practice today with a sore right shoulder and is scheduled to be examined by the team doctor, Marc D’Amico of NBA.com relays. Coach Brad Stevens downplayed Bradley’s shoulder woes, but there is some cause for concern given that he has been experiencing consistent pain in his shooting shoulder — a shoulder that has been surgically repaired in the past, D’Amico notes.

Here’s more from the Eastern Conference:

  • Sixers coach Brett Brown says the team is considered starting Ersan Ilyasova at power forward instead of Dario Saric, who was “thrown into the starting lineup” due to injuries, Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer relays (via Twitter). Ilyasova was acquired from the Thunder earlier today.
  • The Pacers will be without guard Rodney Stuckey for awhile, with coach Nate McMillan announcing the player will be out of action for several weeks with an injured hamstring. The silver lining of this cloud is that an MRI showed there was no tear, which would have kept Stuckey in street clothes for a far longer duration.
  • Sam Amico of AmicoHoops.net runs down some free agents to keep an eye on in case the Cavaliers decide they need more depth at point guard behind Kyrie Irving.
  • Brandon Jennings, who is now a member of the Knicks after signing with them this summer, said he knew his time with the Pistons was limited as soon as Detroit acquired Reggie Jackson, Marc Berman of The New York Post relays. “I knew it was over once they got Reggie Jackson,’’ Jennings said. “Just the fact my Achilles injury — nobody knew what to expect from me, how long it would take to come back. Achilles injuries are career-ending injuries. I already knew what time it was.’’ The Pistons traded Jennings to the Magic prior to last season’s trade deadline in the Tobias Harris deal.
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Eastern Notes: Pistons, Olynyk, Teague, Arenas

October 30th, 2016 at 10:57pm CST by Arthur Hill

Don’t rule out the possibility of extensions for the Pistons‘ Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Reggie Bullock before Monday’s deadline, tweets Keith Langlois of Pistons.com. Coach/executive Stan Van Gundy said today that he doesn’t expect the deals to get done, but GM Jeff Bower remains in contact with the agents for both players in hopes of getting something in place under the wire.

There’s more tonight out of the Eastern Conference:

  • Kelly Olynyk is hoping to be cleared for practice without restrictions this week in his return from offseason surgery on his right shoulder, tweets ESPN’s Jeff Goodman. The Celtics‘ fourth-year center plans to be ready for game action within two weeks.
  • New Pacers point guard Jeff Teague is trying to figure out the cause of his disappointing start, relays Nate Taylor of The Indianapolis Star. Indiana was counting on a spark from Teague when it unloaded George Hill to get him from Atlanta in a three-way trade. But Teague has shot just 20% from the floor in his first three games and has allowed opposing point guards Deron Williams, Jeremy Lin and Rajon Rondo to combine for 52 points and 29 assists. “It’s way different than any team I’ve played on in the past,” Teague said. “We’ve got a lot of talent, but it’s just different. It just is. Everything is different, the concepts; everything is totally different. I’m just trying to get used to it.”
  • The Magic will make their final payment on Monday to former All-Star Gilbert Arenas, writes Tim Bontemps of The Washington Post. The high-scoring guard was waived by Orlando in 2011, but the franchise has continued to pay on his $111MM contract. Arenas no longer counts against the Magic’s salary cap.
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Latest On Extension Negotiations

October 30th, 2016 at 1:42pm CST by Will Joseph

The Thunder is negotiating extensions with representatives for Steven Adams and Victor Oladipo, Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical reports (on Twitter). Discussions are in the $100MM range for Adams, and the $80MM range for Oladipo. Our own Luke Adams examined the extension candidacy of Adams recently, while Arthur Hill looked at Oladipo’s situation.

[RELATED: Players eligible for rookie-scale extensions]

There’s more extension chatter as the October 31st deadline draws near:

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Atlantic Notes: Celtics, Sixers, Nets

September 18th, 2016 at 4:55pm CST by Will Joseph

While nothing appears imminent, Kelly Olynyk is “very much a player to keep an eye on” regarding trade possibilities for the Celtics, A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com relays. Some teams like the Raptors will likely reach out about acquiring the big man once the season progresses, Blakely writes. That’s because while Olynyk has shown flashes of promise, it remains unclear how consistent he can play at a high level and be utilized effectively in Boston, Blakely adds.

Here’s more from around the Atlantic Division:

  • Realizing that they do not possess the same level of talent as other teams do, the Nets believe their best bet to win games is to be willing to outwork teams, Brian Lewis of the New York Post writes. The Nets’ staff epitomizes that, Lewis adds, because of their traveling to see players and work with them, which is a reflection of coach Kenny Atkinson, who is known for player development.
  • Dario Saric is only 22 and has yet to play in a regular season game, but Sixers coach Brett Brown thinks Saric’s experience overseas is more important than his age, Jessica Camerato of CSNPhilly.com relays. Saric started his pro career in 2009, and at the age of 15, he played for Zrinjevac in his native country Croatia, as Camerato points out.
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