Cam Thomas and Jonathan Kuminga are two players currently restricted free agents involved in negotiations with their respective teams.
These young stars show that they have what they need to lead the franchise, but are not given the desired rookie extension.
Cam Thomas’ story with the Brooklyn net fell apart because he didn’t want to accept the team’s offer of contract.
Jonathan Cuminga is offered a two-year, $45 million contract, but the final year team options were not something he was willing to agree to, leading to talks with the Golden State Warriors.
Both of these players have proven talent in the league, and that’s one of the reasons their team hasn’t walked yet, but if agreement has not been reached, Thomas and Cuminga can take the qualifying offer route.
The qualifying offer is a one-year contract from the team. In Thomas’s case, in Net and in Kuminga, the Warriors.
The value of the contract is made in accordance with a collective bargaining agreement and varies by both players.
Under this agreement, Thomas and Cuminga can refuse any deals during the season. At the end of the contract, they become unlimited free agents. This means that the net and the warrior cannot control the landing site.
According to Jake Fisher, Thomas could receive a $6 million qualifying offer from the net to enter unlimited free agency next offseason, but Kuminga could also sign the Warriors’ extension of $7.9 million offer.
They have a deadline until October 1st and sign the qualifying offer.
Kuminga sent a message to social media when he refused the two-year contract offered by Warriors. He is ready to bet on himself, and he suggests that anyone with natural abilities like Cuminga must do the same, but that the NBA could be unpredictable.
The same applies to Thomas’s case, as injuries are part of the game and parcel. If they suffer a serious setback that keeps them away from the game for a long time, their unlimited free agency bets could prove unwise.
Former Dallas Mavericks player Nelllens Noel has rejected a massive four-year, $70 million contract from MAVS and signed a $4.1 million qualifying offer to enter unlimited free agency.
However, due to serious injuries, he was unable to play many games in the 2017-18 season and ultimately had to sign a two-year, $3.7 million contract with the OKC Thunder the following year.
Cuminga and Thomas show that they want to work to support their beliefs. Both franchises will find it difficult to replace the talent they have, but for the CBA, the team will be really cautious about their money and are reluctant to pay these young stars.