The San Antonio Spurs will reportedly make Keita Bates-Diop a restricted free agent, according to Keith Smith.
Per a source: The San Antonio Spurs have extended a qualifying offer to Keita Bates-Diop. Bates-Diop will be a restricted free agent.
— Keith Smith (@KeithSmithNBA) July 30, 2021
The Spurs have tendered a $1.7 million qualifying offer to Bates-Diop to make him a restricted free agent Monday when free agency begins.
By making Bates-Diop a restricted free agent, this means the Spurs have the ability to match an offer sheet if he signs one with another team.
According to Bobby Marks of ESPN, Bates-Diop’s contract projection is a partially guaranteed minimum deal.
If Bates-Diop can’t find an offer sheet from another team, he can accept the qualifying offer and play for that amount next season, and then he’ll become an unrestricted free agent next July.
The Spurs will have a window to keep the qualifying offer or they can pull it after a certain amount of time.
Last season Bates-Diop was signed as a two-way player and he ended up logging 30 games with the Spurs.
Bates-Diop averaged 2.6 points and 1.6 rebounds in his 8.2 minutes per game.
The Spurs also have Quinndary Weatherspoon coming off a two-way contract, but it’s been previously reported they won’t make him a restricted free agent.
