Potential Restricted Free Agents for July 2023

The 2022-23 season will officially end when the clock clicks from June 30 to July 1. At that moment, players (whose contracts have expired) will become free agents.

Many will be unrestricted and able to sign with any NBA franchise willing to offer a contract. Some will be restricted free agents, giving the original team the right of first refusal before that player can move on.

The first-round picks of the 2019 draft class who are completing their rookie-scale contracts (without extensions) will be subject to restricted free agency. It’s up to their existing team to give a qualifying offer (QO) by June 29; otherwise, the player will go unrestricted.

Additionally, players with fewer than four years of service in the league, and all two-ways assigned to the NBA roster for at least 15 days, will be restricted if given a QO.

The free agent can accept the QO as a one-year contract for the 2023-24 season. The player can re-sign with their original franchise to whatever terms both sides find mutually appealing. But if the player wants to leave, he can sign another team’s offer sheet. The initial squad will have approximately 24 hours to match under the NBA’s new collective bargaining agreement (CBA), although the clock doesn’t start until after the July 1-5 moratorium.

The following is the list of rookie-scale players, their QOs if issued, and their cap holds as free agents. For instance, The Boston Celtics would need to give Grant Williams a QO of $8.5 million.

Next is a list of potential restricted free agents who are not rookie-scale and have fewer than four years of service. Cap holds equal to the players’ QOs are omitted from the cap hold column. If the player accepts their QO, the salary is guaranteed for one season. Those who earned “starter criteria” have a cap hold of $5,216,324.

For most eligible two-way players, the QO is a one-year, two-way contract ($551,465 for 2023-24) with $50,000 guaranteed (TBD at that may climb to $75,000 in the new CBA, even though the offer will be made under the 2017 CBA). The cap hold is the one-year minimum (regardless of years of service).

The QO for two-ways who have played with the same team for at least two seasons (or are no longer eligible to play in the G League because they’ve reached four years of service) is the player’s appropriate minimum salary. For instance, Louis King (four years of service) will have a $2.1 million qualifying offer. Only the two-way salary amount ($89,554) will be guaranteed (based on the 2017 CBA, this may change in future seasons). If a QO is not issued, the cap hold is the one-year minimum of $1,774,999. A partial guarantee is listed in parentheses when applicable.

The standard player’s QO (two-way with $50,000 guaranteed) and cap hold ($1,774,999) have been omitted for brevity.

Finally, legacy players not in the NBA last season are eligible for restricted free agency. Bridges is included in the rookie-scale list above after missing last season. A partial guarantee is listed in parentheses when applicable. The standard two-way player’s QO (two-way with $50,000 guaranteed) and cap hold ($1,774,999) have been omitted for brevity.

Email Eric Pincus at eric.pincus@gmail.com and follow him on Twitter @EricPincus.

(Updated 6/30/23)