What if a restricted free agent has no interest in staying with his original team? Is there any way he can force the issue?
Most teams are hesitant to sign restricted free agents to offer sheets, because it is often a given that the offer will be matched by the player’s original team, and the team’s cap room is tied up while the offer sheet is outstanding (however this was assuaged somewhat when the current CBA reduced the deadline from 15 days to seven). If the player really wants to leave, he can accept his original team’s qualifying offer, which constitutes a one-year contract at a scale salary. The player must play with his original team for one more season, but following that season he will be an unrestricted free agent, and can then sign with any other team. For example, Michael Olowokandi was a restricted free agent in 2002. Rather than entering free agency as a restricted free agent, he accepted the Clippers’ qualifying offer for the 2002-03 season, and entered free agency in 2003 as an unrestricted free agent (signing with Minnesota).
