06-25-2022, 05:14 PM
(06-25-2022, 04:03 PM)Mavsfan12 Wrote: Can someone briefly describe why Brunson is not a RFA? I have heard that it is something to do with how his contract was created, and that it was an error. Anyone have this?
Player who is not a 1st round pick is restricted free agent (assuming his team offers a qualifying offer) after year 1, 2, or 3.
Such players do not have a salary scale OR a cap exception. So as it is negotiated, there's a push-pull on how long you get to lock up the player at the minimum, how much will be guaranteed, if there's an option year, etc. If a team doesn't have cap room or part of a yearly exception, all that can be offered is minimum salary exception (2 years at the most, no bonus or frills, exactly minimum), so the only question is how many years and how much is the guarantee.
JB (pick 33) signed a 4-year deal, 3 years plus a team option, which means he becomes a UFA after it ends. It wasn't a one-off deal.
NY's Robinson, drafted a few picks later (pick 36), got the exact same thing (3 yrs + team option). Ike Bonga (pick 39) got the exact same deal as JB. In contrast, Devonte Graham (picked in-between, pick 34) got 3 years with no option, became a RFA, but his price got too big for CHA to want him, so he was gone in free agency (in this case, with the Pels lacking cap room, there was a SNT). Gary Trent Jr (pick 37) got a deal like Graham and was re-signed as a RFA but he was wanted and the deal was a bigger one (avg about 17.3M). Kurucs (pick 40) got a deal like Graham, but at the end he was waived out of the league.
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