2022 Free Agency: Options and qualifying offers
James Harden opted out of his deal, while Russell Westbrook chose to opt into his deal.
Before free agency officially tips off at 6 p.m. ET on Thursday, players and teams had to make decisions on contract options, qualifying offers, and contracts that were either partially or non-guaranteed. Here’s the low down on who’s staying and who could be going.
Player options
Kyrie Irving has opted into his deal for the 2022-23 season with Brooklyn.
These players had an option in the final year of their contract. If they exercised it, they were in for one more year. If they declined it, they become free agents on Aug. 1.
Exercised (under contract for one more year)
Thanasis Antetokounmpo (MIL)
Tony Bradley (CHI)
Trey Burke (DAL, traded to HOU)
Pat Connaughton (MIL)
JaMychal Green (DEN, traded to OKC)
Jeff Green (DEN)
Derrick Favors (OKC)
Kyrie Irving (BKN)
Cory Joseph (DET)
Svi Mykhailiuk (TOR)
Kendrick Nunn (LAL)
John Wall (HOU, waived)
Russell Westbrook (LAL)
Declined (free agents)
Nicolas Batum (LAC)
Bradley Beal (WAS)
James Harden (PHI)
Patty Mills (BKN)
Bobby Portis (MIL)
P.J. Tucker (MIA)
Team options
Wolves center Naz Reid will be back with the team for 2022-23 after the team picked up his option.
Here, the decision lies with the team. If they exercised the team option, they keep the player for another year. If they declined it, they allowed him to become a free agent.
Exercised (under contract for one more year)
Oshae Brissett (IND)
Hamidou Diallo (DET)
Wenyen Gabriel (LAL)
Stanley Johnson (LAL)
Trey Lyles (SAC)
Jalen McDaniels (CHA)
Shake Milton (PHI)
Juwan Morgan (BOS)
Jaylen Nowell (MIN)
Naz Reid (MIN)
Isaiah Roby (OKC)
Dean Wade (CLE)
Declined and extended
Robert Covington (LAC)
Ivica Zubac (LAC)
Before free agency began, the Clippers declined the options on Covington and Zubac, but extend their contracts beyond the 2022-23 season.
Declined (free agents)
Luguentz Dort (OKC – Restricted)
Carsen Edwards (DET)*
Kessler Edwards (BKN – Restricted)
Luka Garza (DET)*
Sam Hauser (BOS – Restricted)
Frank Jackson (DET)
Mike Muscala (OKC)
Jae’Sean Tate (HOU – Restricted)
* Edwards and Garza were eligible for restricted free agency, but in addition to declining their team options, the Pistons chose not to extend them qualifying offers (see below). So they’re unrestricted free agents.
Qualifying offers
Deandre Ayton and Anfernee Simons both received qualifying offers before free agency opened.
Some players were eligible for restricted free agency. This group includes 2018 first-round draft picks who had their third and fourth-year options picked up and just completed their rookie contract, as well as other players who have played three or fewer seasons in the league.
Restricted free agency allows the team to match any offer the player receives from another team. But in order to have that right, the team must have issued the player a qualifying offer by Thursday. If a qualifying offer wasn’t issued, that player is an unrestricted free agent instead.
The qualifying offer is binding as a one-year contract. If the player signs it, he’s under contract for next season. He could also sign an offer sheet from another team (which his team would have the ability to match), and he and his team could agree on a new, multi-year contract. The team also has the ability to rescind the qualifying offer going forward (the list below is as of June 30.)
Issued (restricted free agents)
Deandre Ayton (PHX)
Marvin Bagley (DET)
Miles Bridges (CHA)
Vlatko Cancar (DEN)
Nic Claxton (BKN)
Amir Coffey (LAC)
Anthony Gill (WAS)
Caleb Martin (MIA)
Cody Martin (CHA)
Jordan Nwora (MIL)
Collin Sexton (CLE)
Anfernee Simons (POR)
Lonnie Walker IV (SAS)
Joe Wieskamp (SAS)
Not issued (unrestricted free agents)
Mo Bamba (ORL)
Bol Bol (ORL)
Moses Brown (CLE)
Troy Brown (CHI)
Devontae Cacok (SAS)
Facundo Campazzo (DEN)
Donte DiVincenzo (SAC)
CJ Elleby (POR)
Bruno Fernando (HOU)
Trent Forrest (UTA)
Aaron Holiday (PHX)
Elijah Hughes (POR)
Kevin Knox (ATL)
Skylar Mays (ATL)
Josh Okogie (MIN)
Eric Paschall (UTA)
Matt Thomas (CHI)
Juan Toscano-Anderson (GSW)
Ish Wainright (PHX)
Two-way free agents
This past season was the fifth with two-way players that can go between the NBA roster and the G League. Some two-way players are still under contract for next season. Those that aren’t can be restricted free agents if they were on the NBA team’s active or inactive list for 15 or more days of the regular season, if (like non-two-way free agents) they’ve played less than three years in the league, and if they were issued qualifying offers.
Here’s a rundown of two-way free agents …
Restricted
Justin Champagnie (TOR)
Sharife Cooper (ATL)
David Duke Jr. (BKN)
Malcolm Hill (CHI)
David Johnson (TOR)
Nathan Knight (MIN)
RJ Nembhard (CLE)
Theo Pinson (DAL)
Neemias Queta (SAC)
Davon Reed (DEN)
Admiral Schofield (ORL)
Brodric Thomas (BOS)
Quinndary Weatherspoon (GSW)
Unrestricted
Keljin Blevins (POR)
Iggy Brazdeikis (ORL)
Chris Chiozza (GSW)
Gary Clark (NOP)
Tyler Cook (CHI)
Melvin Frazier Jr. (OKC)
Brandon Goodwin (CLE)
Jared Harper (NOP)
Nate Hinton (IND)
Markus Howard (DEN)
Mason Jones (LAL)
Arnoldas Kulboka (CHA)
Anthony Lamb (HOU)
Scottie Lewis (CHA)
Gabriel Lundberg (PHX)
Mac McClung (LAL)
Xavier Moon (LAC)
Jamorko Pickett (DET)
Yves Pons (MEM)
Myles Powell (PHI)
Trevelin Queen (HOU)
Matt Ryan (BOS)
Jay Scrubb (LAC)
D.J. Stewart (SAS)
Lindell Wigginton (MIL)
Cassius Winston (WAS)
Robert Woodard (SAS)
McKinley Wright IV (MIN)
Moses Wright (DAL)
Gabe York (IND)
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John Schuhmann is a senior stats analyst for NBA.com. You can e-mail him here, find his archive here and follow him on Twitter.
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