Though not as sexy every year as unrestricted free agency, there’s still some big names who could potentially be available on the restricted market come the start of free agency Sunday at 6 p.m. ET.
Of course, given the nature of restricted free agency (where teams have the right to match any offer sheet that comes their RFA’s way and hold onto him) there’s less chance for movement, but you can never say never in the Association.
So, with that in mind, here’s a look at the five best restricted free agents with some of the latest rumours and reports swirling around them.
1. Kristaps Porzingis
Age on June 30: 23
Position: Forward/Centre
2018-19 salary: $5.7 million
Career accomplishments: 2018 NBA all-star. 2016 NBA All-Rookie First Team selection.
The latest: It seems like the writing was always on the wall for Porzingis ever since he tore his left ACL playing against the Milwaukee Bucks back in Feb. 2018.
From that moment on, from what we know now, it looks like his time with the New York Knicks was officially over as the Knicks declined to sign Porzingis to a rookie extension in October despite him being their best player – recovering from injury or not. Instead New York decided to clear up extra cap space to setup their grand play for this summer by creating more cap room for themselves for two max slots.
As such, the relationship between Porzingis and the Knicks deteriorated to the point that he asked for a trade mid-season, one that was granted and saw the him head to the Dallas Mavericks where it mattered not that he missed the entire 2018-19 campaign still recovering from that ACL ailment.
Dallas appears very confident that Porzingis will back to being the player he once was and will reportedly to meet with him right as free agency opens to discuss a full five-year, $158-million max deal.
So even though Porzingis is technically an RFA, if this turns out to be true, there was really never any shot for another team to begin with.
2. D’Angelo Russell
Age on June 30: 23
Position: Guard
2018-19 salary: $7.02 million
Career accomplishments: 2019 NBA all-star. 2016 NBA All-Rookie Second Team selection.
The latest: In a strange twist of fate, Russell, after being essentially traded by the Los Angeles Lakers at the 2017 draft to the Brooklyn Nets to more or less just go away, is reportedly a target for the Lakers now.
With the Nets reportedly looking to bring in Kyrie Irving, Russell looks like he might be the odd man out in Brooklyn. That would give teams an opportunity to go after a player of Russell’s talents, when there normally wouldn’t be one, in restricted free agency.
Russell was drafted No. 2 overall by Los Angeles in 2015. It’s not clear what the price and term L.A. is looking entice him back at but after having a breakout 2019 that saw him become an all-star for the first time in his career and average career highs in points per game (21.1), assists (7.0) and field-goal percentage (43.4 per cent) it’s not likely to come cheap.
3. Malcolm Brogdon
Age on June 30: 26
Position: Guard
2018-19 salary: $1.55 million
Career accomplishments: 2017 NBA Rookie of the Year. 2017 NBA All-Rookie First Team selection. Became eighth player in NBA history to have a 50-40-90 season (2018-19).
The latest: A former second-round pick, Brogdon has played way above his draft stock and is arguably the Milwaukee Bucks’ third-best player.
After playing way above his head for the past three seasons, it’s time for Brogdon to get paid and that looks like it’ll be in the $20-million-per-season range.
If Brogdon gets served with an offer sheet of that value, the Bucks would be hard-pressed to match as they’re a small-market team that would then have to go into the luxury tax to retain both him and unrestricted free agent Khris Middleton, something they might be able to do.
4. Terry Rozier
Age on June 30: 25
Position: Guard
2018-19 salary: $3.05 million
Career accomplishments: Led Celtics in assists per game (5.7) during 2018 NBA playoffs.
The latest: “Scary Terry” has had a mostly inconsistent NBA career, but the potential he showed during the 2018 post-season, when he averaged 16.5 points and 5.7 assists in 19 playoff games played, still lingers and gives just about every NBA club pause about just how good he might actually be if given a full-time starter gig for an entire 82-game season.
And now with reports swirling that Kemba Walker is Celtics-bound, there appears to be opportunity in the restricted free-agent market that Rozier will be there for the taking with the right offer sheet.
The team most heavily connected to do this seems to be the Knicks, who are “keeping an eye” on Rozier.
5. Bobby Portis
Age on June 30: 24
Position: Forward/Centre
2018-19 salary: $2.5 million
Career accomplishments: 2015 SEC Player of the Year. Scored 38 points in a game in 2018.
The latest: Best known for punching then-Chicago Bulls teammate Nikola Mirotic at practice in Oct. 2017, Portis can actually be a pretty productive big off the bench when he’s focused on just playing basketball.
Last season, split between Chicago and the Washington Wizards – of whom he and Jabari Parker were traded to at the deadline – Portis averaged 14.2 points and 8.1 assists per game in 50 games played.
Teams recognize the potential in Portis, therefore it’s been reported that he’s attracted a fair bit of interest from around the league as a secondary or tertiary target.
The Knicks, in particular, have seemingly made it clear that Portis will be under strong consideration to offer sheet if they miss on all of their top priorities.
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