Memphis Grizzlies sign Quinten Post to $30m contract offer sheet
Restricted free agent Quinten Post has signed a three-year, $30m contract offer sheet with the Memphis Grizzlies, leaving the Golden State Warriors with a Tuesday deadline to match.
Agents George Roussakis and Mark Bartelstein landed the lucrative deal for their client on Monday morning, forcing Golden State into a difficult financial decision.
The California franchise have until 23:59 ET on Tuesday to equal the terms or they will lose the third-year center entirely.
Financial strain for Golden State
Golden State previously extended a $2.6m qualifying offer to retain the player’s matching rights.
However, this newly inflated price tag could prove problematic for a front office currently attempting to construct the back end of their roster.
The organisation is actively pursuing unrestricted free agent LeBron James while attempting to maintain salary cap flexibility to eventually re-sign veteran forward Draymond Green.
Excluding Green, the franchise sits $38.5m below the second apron and operates under a hard cap following the addition of guard De’Anthony Melton.
Shooting appeal and defensive leaps
Drafted 52nd overall in 2024, the floor-spacing big man quickly established himself during his rookie campaign.
He connected on 73 three-pointers at a nearly 41% success rate over 42 games in his debut season.
While his perimeter accuracy dipped to 33.6% this past year, his high volume of long-range attempts remains highly coveted for a modern frontcourt player.
A significant improvement in his defensive analytics ultimately enticed Memphis to launch this aggressive free agency pursuit.
His path to regular minutes in San Francisco had also been complicated by the team prioritising veteran big men Al Horford and Kristaps Porzingis on multi-year deals this month.
Rare offer sheet territory
This move represents the first time an NBA player has signed an offer sheet exceeding $5m per season since Matisse Thybulle agreed terms with the Dallas Mavericks in 2023.
The Portland Trail Blazers eventually matched that four-year, $33.1m contract to retain the Australian wing.
Should the Warriors decline to match, it will be the first time a team has lost a restricted free agent in this manner since the Sacramento Kings let Bogdan Bogdanovic join the Atlanta Hawks in 2020.