It was mostly a foregone conclusion, but now it’s official. Both Cleveland Cavaliers center Jarrett Allen and Miami Heat guard Kendrick Nunn met the “starter criteria” on Monday, meaning both will be eligible for restricted free agency at season’s end, as relayed by Luke Adams of Hoops Rumors.
Allen and Nunn each started for their respective teams Monday to meet the benchmark.
Given that the Cavs intend to trade center Andre Drummond, Allen has the chance to be locked in for quite some time as the team’s starter.
To qualify, players usually have to start 82 games during the two seasons before reaching free agency. But the rule has been adjusted, given that both last season and this will have less regular-season games than normal.
Therefore, Allen needed 68 starts over his past two seasons with the Brooklyn Nets and now Cavs, and Nunn needed 69, all with the Heat. Allen started his 10th game of this season Monday after compiling 58 last year. Nunn started his seventh game of the season Monday after compiling 62 starts last season.
“In order to make a player a restricted free agent, a team must issue him a qualifying offer, which is essentially a guaranteed one-year contract offer that gives the team the right of first refusal on a rival offer sheet,” Adams explained. “Meeting the starter criteria makes a player eligible for a larger qualifying offer than he would have been if he’d fallen short of that criteria.”
Allen and Nunn became the fifth players to meet the criteria this season — joining Heat guard/forward Duncan Robinson, New Orleans Pelicans point guard Lonzo Ball and Charlotte Hornets point guard Devonte’ Graham.
