James Harden accepted his deal while Kyle Kuzma declined his player option during the 2023 NBA offseason.
Before free agency officially gave notice at 6 p.m. ET Friday, players and teams had to make decisions about contract options, qualifying offers and contracts that were either partial or non-guaranteed. Here you can see who is staying and who could leave.
Player options
Jazz guard Jordan Clarkson picked up his deal, while Raptors’ Fred VanVleet declined his player option.
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, they become free agents on July 1.
Coach (under contract for one more year)
Jordan Clarkson (UTA)
Andre Drummond (CHI)
Danilo Gallinari (BIM)*
Rudy Gay (UTA)*
James Harden (PHI)
Josh Hart (NYK)
The Horton Tucker Speech (UTA)
Daniel House Jr. (PHI)
Damian Jones (UTA)
Victor Oladipo (MIA)
Otto Porter Jr. (DRY)
Kristaps Porzingis (WAS)*
Gary Trent Jr. (DRY)
* Gallinari (traded to Washington), Gay (to Atlanta in a deal that can go through July 6) and Porzingis (to Boston) had to exercise their options before being traded.
Rejected (Free Agents)
Bruce Brown (DEN)
Jevon Carter (MIL)
Donte DiVincenzo (GSW)
Draymond Green (GSW)
Montrezl Harrell (PHI)
Derrick Jones Jr. (CHI)
Kyle Kuzma (WAS)
Chris Middleton (MIL)
Fred VanVleet (TOR)
Team options
High-flying forward Kenyon Martin Jr. had his opportunity picked up by the Rockets.
Here the decision lies with the team. If they exercised the team option, they keep the player for another year. If they declined, they allowed him to become a free agent.
Coach (under contract for one more year)
Goga Bitadze (ENT)
Alec Burks (IT)
Kessler Edwards (SAC)
Isaiah Livers (DET)
Naji Marshall (NOP)
Kenyon Martin Jr. (HOW)
Miles McBride (NYK)
Mike Muscala (BIM)*
Eugene Omoruyi (DET)
Lamar Stevens (CLE)
Xavier Tillman (MEM)
Ish Wainright (PHX)
* Muscala should have had his option exercised to have been traded to Washington.
Rejected (Free Agents)
Malik Beasley (LAL)
Michael Carter-Williams (ENT)
Willy Hernangomez (NOP)
Herbert Jones (NOP)*
Nathan Knight (MIN)**
Kevin Knox II (POR)
Derrick Rose (NYK)
Admiral Schofield (ORL)**
Lindy Waters III (OKC)**
* Although the Pelicans declined Jones’ team option, they issued him a qualifying offer (see below), making him a restricted free agent.
** Knight, Schofield and Waters were eligible for restricted free agency, but in addition to declining their team options, their teams chose not to extend their qualifying offers. So they are unrestricted free agents.
Qualifying offer
Bulls teammates Ayo Dosunmu (left) and Coby White both received qualifying offers before free agency opened.
Some players were eligible for restricted free agency. This group includes 2019 first-round draft picks who had their third- and fourth-year options picked up and just completed their rookie contracts, 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 to have that right, the team must have issued the player a qualifying offer by Friday. If a qualifying offer was not issued, that player is an unrestricted free agent instead.
The qualifying offer is binding as a one-year contract. If the player signs, he is under contract for the next season. He could also sign an offer sheet from another team (which his team would have the opportunity to match), and he and his team could agree to a new multi-year contract. The team also has the option to revoke the qualifying offer going forward (the list below is as of June 30).
Issued (Restricted Free Agents)
Ayo Dosunmu (CHI)
Rui Hachimura (LAL)
Cameron Johnson (BKN)
Tre Jones (SAS)
Jock Landale (PHX)
Austin Reaves (LAL)
Paul Reed (PHI)
Matisse Thybulle (POR)
PJ Washington (CHA)
Coby White (CHI)
Grant Williams (BIM)
Not Issued (Unrestricted Free Agents)
Nickeil Alexander-Walker (MIN)
Dalano Banton (TOR)
Darius Bazley (PHX)
David Duke Jr. (BKN)
Jaxson Hayes (NOP)
Anthony Lamb (GSW)
Romeo Langford (SAS)
Sandro Mamukelashvili (SAS)
Cam Reddish (POR)
Dylan Windler (CLE)
Omer Yurtseven (MIA)
Two-way free agents
This past season was the sixth with two-way players who can go between the NBA roster and the G League. Some two-way players are still under contract for next season. Those who are not 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 (as non-two-way free agents) they have played less than three year in the league and if they were issued qualifying offers.
Here’s a rundown of two-way free agents…
Limited
Ibou Badji (POR)
Dominick Barlow (SAS)
Kendall Brown (IND)
John Butler Jr. (POR)
Jamal Cain (MIA)
Julian Champagnie (SAS)
JD Davison (BIM)
Darius Days (HOU)
Moussa Diabate (LAC)
Jeff Dowtin Jr. (DRY)
Keon Ellis (SAC)
Trent Forrest (ATL)
Luka Garza (MIN)
Collin Gillespie (DEN)
AJ Green (MIL)
Ron Harper Jr. (DRY)
Trevor Hudgins (HOU)
Ty Jerome (GSW)
Johnny Juzang (UTA)
Trevor Keels (NYK)
Kend Lee (PHX)
Theo Maledon (CHA)
Isaiah Mobley (CLE)
Nehemiah Keta (SAC)
Lester Quinones (GSW)
Jared Rhoden (DET)
Orlando Robinson (MIA)
Matt Ryan (MIN)
Terry Taylor (CHI)
Jack White (DEN)
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Buddy Boeheim (IT)
Jared Butler (OKC)
Mamadi Diakite (CLE) free mp3 download
Jay Huff (WAS)
Mfiondu Kabengele (BOS) free mp3 download
Louis King (PHI)
Mac McClung (PHI)
Xavier Moon (LAC)
Scotty Pippen Jr. (LAL)
Oliver Sarr (OKC)
Dru Smith (BKN)
Duane Washington Jr. (NYC)
McKinley Wright IV (DAL)
Gabe York (IND)
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John Schuhmann is a senior statistical analyst for NBA.com. You can email him here, find his archive here and follow him on Twitter.
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