Both Cam Thomas and Quentin Grimes were forced to bet on themselves and take qualifying offers in free agency this offseason, a fate that could await Jaden Ivey, but it’s in his control.
This will probably concern Ivey's agent more than him, as they have to be surveying the league and wondering about the future market for shooting guards.
Thomas was the first to give in, as he and the Nets were miles apart on a contract number. The same can be said for Grimes, who also signed a qualifying offer for over $8 million next season, quite a compromise when he was seeking upwards of $25 million per season.
Taking the QO gives control back to the players, who gain a no-trade clause and become unrestricted free agents next offseason. It’s a risk for the players, but also for the team, as the Nets and 76ers now stand to lose their respective players for nothing.
It may be a smart bet for Thomas and Grimes, as there weren’t many teams with cap space this offseason, so the offer sheets for restricted free agents never materialized. It’s easier to go after unrestricted free agents, as offer sheets for restricted free agents tie up cap space, which is one of the reasons teams are reluctant to extend them when the other team has the right to best it anyway.
The market for shooting guards may seem depressed, but that could change next offseason, which both Thomas and Grimes are betting on. But they may not find much better offers coming their way, as teams are being much more cautious about giving out big deals to players who aren’t stars.
Will this same thing happen to Jaden Ivey next offseason? That’s really up to him.
Jaden Ivey can silence the critics and get his money
Jaden Ivey is younger and has more perceived potential than either Thomas or Grimes, so he’s not in the exact same category as a player, but isn’t far off.
He too will be seeking a big pay raise and whether he gets it will come down to how he plays next season. Trajan Langdon is trying to create a meritocracy where contributions on the court are reflected in the player’s contract, which is why it’s unlikely we’ll see Ivey get an extension before October 20th.
But if he plays well next season, the money will be there, whether it is from the Pistons or someone else, and even though the Thomas and Grimes situations are similar, they are not the same.
As I said, they’ll be more teams with money, which will give Ivey more leverage than these players had. Also, Thomas is viewed as a one-dimensional stat-stuffer and Grimes has been injured a lot and only had a short stretch where he looked like a 20+ million player, and that was also for a bad team where he was able to shoot as much as he pleased.
Ivey won’t be viewed that way if he helps the Pistons to the playoffs as the secondary scoring option, so he is at less risk of going through the same kind of drama in restricted free agency next offseason.
I'm sure Ivey's agent would have rather seen Grimes get $20+ million to set a market for Jaden, but if JI plays as well as he can next season, his bag will be waiting for him.