OPTION ONE - "ACCEPT"
The incumbent team chooses to match the winning bid. The player remains with his incumbent team and the contract is transferred to the incumbent team. The original "winning team" gets nothing (other than getting their cap space back for regular free agency). The player may not be traded for a full year (i.e., until after the next RFA period),
If the incumbent team submitted the winning bid (e.g., a 5-year max), this option is automatically the option selected (and the player is not eligible to be traded for a full year).
OPTION TWO - "DECLINE"
The incumbent team chooses not to match the winning bid. The player moves to the team that signed him and the incumbent team receives no compensation. The player may not be traded for a full year (i.e., until after the next RFA period).
This is considered the default option if no other post is made in the RFA Choice thread by the deadline.
OPTION THREE - "SIGN AND TRADE"
The incumbent team may choose to negotiate a trade with the team that submitted the winning bid. The trade must be legal (i.e., cannot violate salary cap rules and cannot involve players that were traded during the draft* as they have not been on the squad for 60 days).
Both parties must post consent to the trade in the Finalized Trade Forum prior to the deadline to choose to accept, decline, or sign and trade. Once both teams have posted in the Finalized Trade Forum, either team may post (and one team SHOULD post) "Sign and Trade" in the RFA Choice thread and link to the Finalized Trade thread to help the staff find it. The Finalized Trade thread's timestamps (both owners approvals) will be the determinant as to whether or not the trade made the deadline, not the timestamp of the post in the RFA choice thread (for those of you cutting it close).
A posted Finalized Trade thread with both parties' approval trumps both "Accept" and "Decline" posts made in the main RFA Choice thread.
The Restricted Free Agent cannot be traded for one full year following this "Sign and Trade." Any other players that happen to be involved in such a trade may be traded after 60 days as normal.
1999 Free Agent Results
Player | Pos | Winning Team | Incumbent Team | Winning Bid | Notes/Result |
Michael Finley | SG | Raptors | Raptors | Supermax $8,723,835; 12.5%; 5; Team option | Automatically Accepted |
Kevin Garnett | PF | Lakers | Lakers | Supermax | Automatically accepted |
Antonio McDyess | PF | Bucks | Hawks | max; 4yr; 10% (player option) | Contract matched by the Hawks |
Theo Ratliff | C | Grizzlies | Jazz | $8,723,835; 0%; 4 | Jazz decline to match. |
Arvydas Sabonis | C | Warriors | Bulls | 7800001; 10%; 2 Team Option | Sign and trade: viewtopic.php?f=24&t=148 |
Joe Smith | PF | Celtics | Wizards | $1,500,000 - 4 yrs - 0% | Contract matched by Wizards |
Eric Snow | PG | Warriors | Hawks | 5200001; 10%; 4 Player Option | Sign and trade: viewtopic.php?f=24&t=150&p=602 |
Jerry Stackhouse | SF | Warriors | Magic | 8723835; 10%; 4; Player Option | Contract matched by Magic |
Damon Stoudamire | PG | Raptors | Spurs | $5,530,327; 10%; 4 | Contract matched by Spurs |
Rasheed Wallace | C | Hornets | Spurs | 3 years w/ Team Option 4th Year 10% Interest at 4,800,000 a year | Sign and trade: viewtopic.php?f=24&t=146 |
Eric Williams | SF | Hawks | Hawks | minimum; 0%; 3; team option | Automatically Accepted |