Ok...I think the Nets needed to make a Qualifing Offer to Kmart (which they did) to make him a restrincted Free Agent, otherwise he would have been an UFA. I guess Kmart couild have accepted the offer, but at the designated salary for the additional year and then become a UFA next year.

So he is a RFA this year.

the qualifying offer in the fourth year of the rookie contract guarentees the team excluive restriction. It guarantees the player an automatic 20% raise off his last year salary even if no other team offers him a contract proposal.

baically the team is guarenteeing payment in year 4 for the right of full restriction.


for example rodney white did not receive a qualifying offer from Denver after his three year rookie deal was up making him an unresticted FA. All denver had to do was give him a qualifying offer of around 3mm to keep restriction on them, but they declined to keep their cap space at a maximum. This doesnt preclude Denver from resigning White to a lower salaried contract after the fact.

i'd say it has about as much chance as some of the other trade proposals we discuss on this forum...who knows what will happen until it actually happens? i think the Nets do have a shot at getting Shaq, sure...but will the Ratner investment group want to shell out the salary to Shaq over the next 2 years when they are currently trying to complete their purchase of the Nets organization & move them to a new arena in Brooklyn? who knows.