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Restricted free agency behind the scenes: ‘It's not really free agency’

受限自由球员的背后：“他们并不是真正自由。”

Following lucrative deals for Luka Doncic, Trae Young, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Michael Porter Jr. and Robert Williams, other players also on rookie-scale salaries hope to sign extensions before the Oct. 18 deadline to avoid an undesirable situation: restricted free agency.

继卢卡-东契奇、特雷-杨、谢伊-吉尔杰斯-亚历山大、小迈克尔-波特和罗伯特-威廉姆斯之后，其他球员也希望在10月18日的截止日期前与球队签下续约合同，以免出现他们并不喜欢的情况：成为受限自由球员。

Among those are Suns center Deandre Ayton, Cavs guard Collin Sexton and Grizzlies center Jaren Jackson Jr.

其中包括太阳队中锋德安德烈-艾顿，骑士队后卫科林-塞克斯顿和灰熊队中锋小贾伦-杰克逊。

When the sides fail to agree to an extension, negotiations between executives and agents often become heated during restricted free agency.

当双方不同意续约时，管理层和经纪人之间的谈判往往会在球员成为受限制自由球员的期间变得激烈。

“I was threatened by the GM,” one NBA agent told HoopsHype. “He was going to tell my client that I was f—— up the deal. I told him, ‘My client is in the other room. Do you think he doesn’t know what our conversation is? We’re going back and forth right now. There’s no way that he’s going to think I’m f—— this up.'”

“我受到了总经理的威胁，”一位NBA经纪人告诉HoopsHype。“他打算告诉我的客户球员，说我把交易搞砸了。我告诉他，‘我的客户在另一个房间。你觉得他不知道我们在说什么吗？我们现在就在出尔反尔。他不可能认为是我把事情搞砸了。’”

To get a sense of how restricted free agency works behind the scenes and more anecdotes like the one above, HoopsHype spoke with five total agents and executives.

为了了解受限制自由球员在幕后是如何运作的，以及更多类似上述的轶事，HoopsHype采访了五位经纪人和球队高层。

Restricted free agency favors teams

受限自由球员对球队是有利的

A restricted free agent can sign an offer sheet with any team, but the player’s original team can retain him by matching the terms of the sheet.

受限制自由球员可以与任何球队签署合同，但球员的原球队可以根据合同条款留住他。

“It speaks volumes that not one restricted free agent signed an offer sheet this year,” a second NBA agent told HoopsHype. “The system is designed to keep the players in their home market with the team that drafted them. The problem is the teams aren’t trying, or there’s a huge push to sign guys to offer sheets with the way the rules are set up because you get your money tied up, and they can mess with you with the physicals and tie up your money for an extended period. It’s not really free agency.”

另一名NBA经纪人告诉HoopsHype说：“这说明今年没有一名受限制自由球员会与其他球队签下合同。”“这种机制的目的就是让球员留在自己的市场内，留在当初签下他们的球队内。问题是团队不去尝试，或者没有是一个巨大的推动力来让球队利用现有的条例来签下一位球员，因为你得到的钱是被捆绑住的，他们可以再以你的身体原因为接口再占用你的钱一段时间。受限制自由球员，他们并不真正自由。”

When a player hasn’t signed an offer sheet with another team, and the market has dried up, multiple players, including Lauri Markkanen and Devonte’ Graham, switched teams this offseason via a sign-and-trade.

当一名球员还没有与其他球队签约，而市场热度已经消退时，包括劳里-马尔卡宁和德文特-格雷厄姆在内的多名球员会在这个休赛期通过先签后换的方式交易到其他球队去。

“Some want to show that they take care of their guys, and they want to create that culture where if you do right by us, we’ll do right by you,” the agent said. “Others, they’re not going to do that. They’re going to pressure you to get an offer sheet. It’s a system that’s designed in favor of the teams against the players.”

“有些人想表现出他们很关心他们的球员的样子，他们想创造一种球队的文化氛围，如果你对我们好，我们也会对你好，”经纪人说。“但是另一些人，他们不会这么做。他们会向你施压，给你一份邀请合同。这是一种有利于球队与球员博弈的机制。”

For example, the Timberwolves took care of their restricted free agent last offseason when they signed Malik Beasley to a four-year, $60 million deal. Minnesota courted him by renting a house on the water, showed highlights of him, messages from Twins star Nelson Cruz, local business owners, customized Vikings jerseys, newspaper cutouts, and more.

举个例子，森林狼队在上个休赛季以4年6000万美元的薪资签下了马利克-比斯利时，就一直对他们的受限制球员保持关注。为了吸引他留在球队，明尼苏达州租了一所水上别墅，展示了他的高光时刻、双胞胎明星纳尔逊-克鲁兹的留言、当地企业主、定制的维京球衣、报纸剪报等等。

“For a smaller market team, it becomes incredibly important,” one NBA general manager told HoopsHype. “We don’t have the ability to extract free agents like other big market teams do. That restricted free agency is really important for us. It doesn’t mean we try to hold a gun to a guy’s head, but you understand that there are only so many times you can keep a player in your market.”

一位NBA总经理告诉HoopsHype：“对于一支市场规模比较小的球队来说，这变得非常重要。”“我们不像其他市场上的大球队那样，有能力挖掘到自由球员。受限制的自由球员对我们来说真的很重要。这并不意味着我们要将目光只对准一位球员，但你要明白，在你的球队市场中，你只能留住一个受限制球员。”

Hurt feelings

球员与球队间伤感情

Restricted free agency is a litmus test where a player and his agent grasp the team’s perspective on the player. Teams with a marquee player entering his prime can lock in the player long-term, and they usually do. Others that aren’t so sure play hardball and force a player to test the market.

受限制自由球员是球员和他的经纪人把握球队对球员的看法的试金石。当一个优秀的球员进入巅峰状态时，球队可以长期锁定这个球员，他们通常也是这样做的。其他还未认定任何一位球员的的球队则采取强硬手段，迫使一位球员进入球队的市场。

“It definitely hurts the relationship moving forward when there’s distrust and not goodwill built up,” one agent told HoopsHype. “There have been two situations where the team flat-out strategically tried to tell the market they were going to match no matter what, and I was still able to go out and get offer sheets. It forced them to match, and it forced them to pay a premium because they were lowballing our client. That’s a good feeling.”

一名经纪人告诉HoopsHype：“当信任崩塌之时，球队与球员没有建立友好关系时，这肯定会阻碍球员与球队关系的向前发展。”“有两种情况，球队竭尽全力，战略性地告向球队市场声明，无论如何他们都将为球员找到下家，而我仍然能够出去拿到球员的报价表。这迫使了球员与新东家的匹配，迫使他们支付溢价，因为他们给我们的客户球员开出的报价太低了。这是一种很好的感觉。”

Negotiations can boil over if there’s a large gap between the agent and executive, which can lead players to ask for trades.

如果经纪人和管理层之间的沟壑太大，可能会导致球员提出交易要求。

“Guys can try to create leverage like Kristaps Porzingis did in New York when he was unsatisfied and tried to do things to get out,” one general manager noted. “You can try to create a market and get out, but the market isn’t created if the deal isn’t right. A team isn’t going to do a deal to get off a player of that talent.”

“球员们可以像克里斯塔普斯-波尔津吉斯在纽约时那样，当他不满意球队的某些操作时，他会试图做些事情来摆脱球队的束缚，”一位总经理指出。“你可以尝试创造一个新市场，然后再退出，但如果交易有纰误，这个市场就不会诞生。球队是不会为了送走一个有天赋的球员而做交易的。”

When negotiations get heated

当谈判变得激烈时

If the player isn’t definitively a max player, finding the middle ground gets harder. It starts the year before if both sides can’t come to an extension. Then, it carries momentum into restricted free agency.

如果对象不是顶薪球员，那么找到一个中规中矩的报价数就会变得更加困难。如果双方不能达成协议，协议将提前一年生效。而后，它就给受限制自由球员带来了动力。

According to one general manager, negotiations can become contentious when the team asks a player to get an offer sheet elsewhere.

据一位球队总经理说，当球队要求球员从其他球队那里获得报价时，谈判可能会变得有争议起来。

From the player’s perspective, it’s an issue of pride that his team wasn’t willing to pay him. The player can then sign an offer sheet that’s an undesirable contract for the team that has to match in terms of length, trade provisions, or payment upfront.

从球员的角度来看，他的球队不愿意支付薪资给他是一个关于球员自尊心的问题。球员可以签署一份合同，但这对球队来说是一份不理想的合同，它必须在合同期限、交易条款或预付款方面适应球员的需要和愿望。

“I think the biggest example of that was Joe Johnson when he was a restricted free agent,” one longtime agent recalled. “He was trying to get an extension. He and Robert Sarver (Suns owner) weren’t that far off, and he ended up playing out his contract and ended up leaving for Atlanta. It may have cost the Suns a championship or two.”

“我认为最大的例子是乔-约翰逊，当时他还是一个受限制自由球员，”一位老球员回忆说。“他想要续约合同。他和罗伯特-萨维尔（太阳队老板）间的壁障并没有很厚，最终他在合同期满后离队去了亚特兰大。这可能让太阳队失去了一两个总冠军。”

“We’re looking to get value, so we can build a team,” one general manager told HoopsHype. “The agents don’t care about building teams.”

一位总经理告诉HoopsHype：“我们希望获得有价值的球员，这样我们就可以组建一支很好的团队。”“但经纪人并不关心组建团队。”

When the player and his agent feel the team is “nickel and diming” them, negotiations can drag out as they did with Hawks restricted free agent John Collins or lead to a player moving on entirely.

当球员和他的经纪人觉得球队对他们“穷追猛打”时，谈判可能会拖延，就像他们与老鹰受限制自由球员约翰-柯林斯的谈判一样，这可能会导致一位球员毅然决然地离开。

“If there’s no market, they’re going to completely lowball you,” an agent who’s had several clients in restricted free agency over the past few years told HoopsHype. “That’s when it gets contentious because you get anxiety building with the player and the agent, and you’ve got to get something done.”

“如果球队没有一个很好的市场，他们就会完全压低给你的报价，”一位在过去几年里有几个受限制自由球员客户的经纪人告诉HoopsHype。“这时候就会使这次谈判产生争议，因为球员和经纪人会产生焦虑的情绪，你必须做点什么事。”

Another agent recalled a meeting where he was thrown a curveball by the executive he was negotiating with during a face-to-face meeting. The executive came to the table offering a shorter contract and less money than discussed.

另一位经纪人回忆说，在一次面对面的会议上，与他谈判的球队高层向他扔出了一个弧线球。这位球队高层来到谈判桌前，提出了一份比先前讨论的时间更短的合同和更少的资金。

“Why did you fly out here to bulls— me?” the agent told the general manager. “We’ve discussed this, and you’re going to change it? We talked all morning. You could’ve said something before showing up here. I would’ve told you to turn around.”

“你为什么飞到这儿来和我胡说八道？”经纪人告诉总经理。“我们已经讨论好的东西，你却要改变它？我们已经聊了一上午，你来之前就应该和我说点什么。然后我就让你打消这个念头。”

How the media plays a role

媒体如何发挥作用

“If you know a team’s lowballing a guy and you want to get something written out there, (leaking to the media) can be very helpful,” one agent told HoopsHype. “I’d say letting them know whatever offer is out there is unfair, and their unwillingness to do an extension is going to prove to be detrimental.”

一位经纪人告诉HoopsHype：“如果你知道一个球队在压低他们给一位球员的报价，你想把一些事情写出来，（透露给媒体）可能会很有帮助。”“我想说的是，让他们知道无论他们有什么提议都是不公平的，他们不愿续约都对球员是不利的。”

Recently, ESPN reported Ayton had not received a max contract extension offer from the Suns. The report also noted how many executives across the league expected that type of deal to be completed long ago and forgo restricted free agency for Ayton. Several media members called out the Suns for their stance on negotiations, including Kendrick Perkins.

最近，ESPN报道说，艾顿并没有收到来自太阳的顶薪合同。报道还指出，联盟中有多少高管早就希望完成这类交易，并送走受限制自由球员身份的艾顿。包括肯德里克-帕金斯在内的一些媒体人士对太阳在谈判中的立场提出了质疑。

Here’s why I say that the Suns NEED to pay DeAndre Ayton his damn money!!! Carry the hell on… pic.twitter.com/SxGwof02jY— Kendrick Perkins (@KendrickPerkins) October 5, 2021

这就是为什么我说太阳需要给小德安德鲁-艾顿付工资！！

pic.twitter.com/SxGwof02jY ——肯德里克-帕金斯(@KendrickPerkins) 2021年10月5日

Agents can also try to put pressure on a team during negotiations by leaking multiple teams are in pursuit to drive up the market for their players.

经纪人也可以在谈判期间向球队施加压力，透露和他们多支球队正在为追求到球员而追加他们的报价的消息。

“Say four teams are interested, with Team X being one of them,” another agent explained. “These four teams have expressed interest. When you put out false reports that the player is looking for four years, $100 million, and he’s not going to get that, you’re not helping anybody other than your client’s ego.”

“假设有四支球队感兴趣，X队是其中之一，”另一名经纪人解释道。“这四个团队都表达了对球员的意向。如果你散布出假消息，说你的客户球员想要4年1亿美元，但他不会得到这些钱时，你只是在帮助挽回你的客户球员的自尊心而已。”

Qualifying offer leverage

资质合同的使用

While Porzingis threatened to sign a qualifying offer with the Knicks if he wasn’t traded, we’ve yet to see a big-name player sign a one-year qualifying offer for the chance to enter unrestricted free agency the following summer.

虽然波尔津吉斯威胁说如果他没有被交易，他就会和尼克斯签下一份资质合同，但我们还从未看到一位大牌球员签下一份一年的资质合同，以换取明年夏天进入自由球员市场的机会。

Multiple executives who spoke with HoopsHype believe it would take a dreadful situation for a player not to take an extension offer near the max. If a player truly wants out, taking the qualifying offer is the only leverage he has.

许多高管在接受HoopsHype采访时都认为，如果一个球员不接受一份接近薪资上限的续约合同，那将是非常糟糕的情况。如果一名球员真的想离开，他只能签下资质合同了。

Does any player have the guts to do it while risking life-changing money in the event of an injury?

有哪个球员有勇气在受伤的情况下用可能以改变人生为代价去追求这些钱财呢？

“It’s going to happen at some point,” one general manager predicted. “Personally, I could never do it if I was a player. Health is never guaranteed, so to pass up on all that (money) just for a chance to make less? If you sign a qualifying offer, you can’t make as much with another team as you can with your incumbent team.”

“这些事情迟早会发生的，”一位总经理猜测道。“就我个人而言，如果我是一名球员，我永远不会这么做。我无法保证我永远健康，所以怎么可能为了一个赚得更少的机会而放弃现有的所有（钱）呢？如果你签下了一份资质合同，那你在其他球队赚的钱就不会像在现有球队赚的那么多。”