Down With ‘Restricted’ Free Agency?
Following the embarrassing Anderson Varejao episode in Cleveland, Players’ Association director Billy Hunter says it might be time to take a long, hard look at what it means to be a restricted free agent. From the Houston Chronicle:
“To me, that’s one of the things we should talk about going forth in the next round of bargaining, restricted free agency. They aren’t free agents if no one gets an offer because teams believe the offers will be matched. All of the leverage is with the team.
“It makes it difficult for the guy who is not a superstar, for a guy like Varejao who is a very good player, to get a competing offer. It’s something we have to look at.”
Whether the union gets the rules changed or not remains to be seen, but one thing is clear: With greedy agents and the way salaries are presently constructed, we could have another Varejao-esque episode on our hands in the near future, something the League can ill afford.
27 Responses to “Down With ‘Restricted’ Free Agency?”
Dec.10 at 4:00 pm
niQ says:
I don’t think the Cavs needed him…
Dec.10 at 4:00 pm
Ryan Jones says:
Yes! I’ve been saying this for years. Finally!
Dec.10 at 4:01 pm
Ryan Jones says:
Sorry—what’s restricted free agency?
Dec.10 at 4:06 pm
Russ Bengtson says:
Might as well get rid of the draft while they’re at it, then. Or lengthen rookie contracts (haha, RIGHT). Otherwise bad teams will just wind up being farm systems to the big spenders.
Dec.10 at 4:19 pm
coach says:
the team owners will only agree in changing the free agency situ if the players’ union will agree to cut the lenght of contract to 3 years instead of 7 and now 6 years!
Dec.10 at 4:23 pm
Jukai says:
I’m with Coach. So sorry you’re stuck on your 10 million dollar salary for a year longer or two longer.
Dec.10 at 4:30 pm
nothin personal says:
Varejao’s case was the best thing that happen in the Nba this year. Teaches people that they can’t balckmail the teams and get hugely overpaid. I would love to see a semi-Star get the same treatment in a free agent year (and not just Latrell or Jackie’s Husband). Maybe they must implement salary scales, and no team could give more than one max contract (even if max means different money at five years vet or 12 years vet). Maybe you could give up three scale 2 or 3 contracts and so forth.
Dec.10 at 4:33 pm
neaorin says:
guaranteed, non-renegociable contracts. that is all
Dec.10 at 4:40 pm
Russ Bengtson says:
There’s one sure-fire way for an agent to get an offer that the original team won’t match, and it’s called “signing with the Knicks.”
Dec.10 at 4:42 pm
neaorin says:
Oh yeah, and apparently AV’s shiny new contract will not be prorated, which means he will receive the full MLE this year instead of being docked pay for the time already missed. I don’t see Billy complaining about that.
Dec.10 at 4:48 pm
bakers' dozen (12-13) says:
We shoudl just pay all atheltes the going rate in the state they live in…$40,000 max.
Dec.10 at 5:21 pm
Rubens says:
yet I think we should analize the idea that sideshow is “a very good player”
Dec.10 at 5:33 pm
chiqo says:
indeed we should. is he even better than john salley?
Dec.10 at 5:41 pm
Homie says:
I’d take Salley. Right now.
Dec.10 at 6:44 pm
J-22 says:
what a funny man sideshow that is
Dec.10 at 6:50 pm
Andrew says:
Why dont they just shorten the 3 weeks the original team has to match, make it 24 hours for example, that way your money isnt tied up for 3 weeks while waiting on a match or not and missing out on everyone else
Dec.10 at 7:00 pm
speedy says:
If they change that there will be even more overpaid role players then there alredy are.
Dec.10 at 7:50 pm
Mayor Adam West says:
what does oscar robertson have to say about this?
Dec.10 at 9:31 pm
Z says:
You guys are making it seem like those NBA guys are taking money from your own pocket. They deserve every single penny they get because they’re the ones that put butts in seats and make people buy merch. The money is there, it’s not going to charity or something. Why should I care if the money is going to the players, the owners or the L?
Dec.10 at 10:13 pm
Mo Charlo says:
chron.com!
Dec.10 at 11:13 pm
chris says:
c’mon guys like latrell need this money to feed their kids
Dec.11 at 12:59 am
Russ Bengtson says:
They should drop the salary cap entirely for a year just to see what happens. “KNICKS PAYROLL EXPANDS TO $2.6 TRILLION: ‘WE’VE GOT EXACTLY WHAT WE WANTED,” THOMAS SAYS.’ Courtside ticket prices increased to $437,000 per game.”
Dec.11 at 1:47 am
Camb0dia says:
seriously they gotta get rid of the restricted make it a team option then total free agency from there same reason y iggy and ben gordon didnt get their extensiont club knows they wont get jack next year as no team is under the cap
Dec.11 at 3:21 am
Z says:
Can you blame Iggy from holding out when he sees Sam Dalembert making 10 a year?
Dec.11 at 3:22 am
Z says:
And I actually like Sam, he’ll give you 10-10-3 every day. Montreal, stand up.
Dec.11 at 3:26 am
Danny says:
If the original team wants to match an offer, they should have to pay extra — about 10%-20%. That way they might try to re-sign players before they enter restricted free agency.
Dec.11 at 6:23 am
Harlem_World says:
What is the world coming to? Sideshow never EVER met ‘good’ in his entire playing career, and if he did, he never got to shake his hand. He’s TERRRRRIBLE. Comparing him to Salley is just plain wrong. Salley at the Pistons played at a level this (relative) scrub is never going to reach, even in practise. Now I’ve said all of this, why do I feel I’ll be paid back by seeing sideshow end up at MSG? FIRE (literally) DOLAN and send Isiah to Europe.