03-03-2026, 10:46 AM
Apologies if this has been addressed somewhere else...
So I was reading that a key reason Middleton refused the buyout and stayed in DAL is because it preserved his bird rights. I get that this gives the team matching rights to any FA offers the player might get, so he can't just walk for nothing. It also allows for Sign and Trades (SnT) deals. All of this seems to benefit the current team, but what is the advantage to Kris? Does it help him get a longer term deal than just the end-of-season rental deal he'd get with a buyout? What am I missing here?
So I was reading that a key reason Middleton refused the buyout and stayed in DAL is because it preserved his bird rights. I get that this gives the team matching rights to any FA offers the player might get, so he can't just walk for nothing. It also allows for Sign and Trades (SnT) deals. All of this seems to benefit the current team, but what is the advantage to Kris? Does it help him get a longer term deal than just the end-of-season rental deal he'd get with a buyout? What am I missing here?
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