In professional sports, a free agent is a player who is eligible to sign with any club or franchise, i.e. not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under contract at present, but who is allowed to solicit contract offers from other teams. In some circumstances, the free agent's options are limited by league rules.

The term came into wider use after sports leagues stopped using a "reserve clause", which provided a repetitive option for the club to renew the contract for one or more years but did not allow the player to terminate it.

Types[link]

Unrestricted free agent

Unrestricted free agents are players without a team. They have either been released from their club, had the term of their contract expire without a renewal, or were not chosen in a league's draft of amateur players. These players, generally speaking, are free to entertain offers from all other teams and to decide with whom to sign a new contract.

Restricted free agent

The specific rules of restricted free agency vary among the major professional sports, but in principle it means that a player is free to solicit offers from other teams for new contracts. However, before this player is allowed to sign with the new club, the current club has a chance to match (or come within 10% in some leagues) the terms of the new contract in which case the player must remain with the original team. In some leagues, if the original team decides not to match the other team's offer for the restricted free agent, the new team provides some number of draft selections to the original team as compensation for losing the player.

Undrafted free agent

Players who are not drafted in a league's annual draft of amateur players are considered to be unrestricted free agents and are free to sign contracts with any team.

Legal provisions in Europe[link]

In the European Union, the 1995 Bosman ruling by the European Court of Justice established the right of free agency for association football players in all EU member nations. The Bosman ruling has since been extended to cover other professional sports and players from Eastern Europe. Players were still tied to their clubs unless their contract ran out until the Webster ruling allowed players the opportunity to move between nations, though it does not free players to move within the national league in which they currently play.

Association football[link]

In professional association football, a free agent is a player that has been released by a professional association football club and now is no longer affiliated with any club, but has not finished his or her professional career.

Free agents do not have to be signed during the normal transfer window that is implemented in some countries' leagues. If they are signed by a team, the team signing them does not have to pay any fees - sometimes this is known as "snapped up on a free transfer".

If a player gets released from their club when the transfer window is closed, they cannot sign for another team until the window reopens. A notable case of this being Sol Campbell who in September 2009 was released from Notts County, just after a month from signing on a free transfer. He signed for his former club Arsenal in January 2010, after spending a few months training with the team to maintain his fitness.

National Football League usage[link]

Restricted free agents

Restricted free agents (RFAs) are players who have three or fewer accrued seasons of service and whose contracts have expired. RFAs have received qualifying offers from their old clubs and are free to negotiate with any club until a deadline which occurs approximately a week prior to the NFL Draft (for 2010 the deadline was April 15), at which time their rights revert to their original club. If a player accepts an offer from a new club, the old club will have the right to match the offer and retain the player. If the old club elects not to match the offer, it may receive draft-choice compensation depending on the level of the qualifying offer made to the player.^[1]

Unrestricted free agents

Unrestricted free agents are players who have completed four or more accrued seasons of service and whose contracts have expired. They are free to sign with any franchise.^[1]

Undrafted free agents

Undrafted free agents are players eligible for the NFL Draft but who are not selected; they can negotiate and sign with any team.

"Plan B" free agency

Plan B free agency was a type of free agency that became active in the National Football League in February 1989. Plan B free agency permitted all teams in the NFL to preserve limited rights of no more than 37 total players a season. If a player was a protected Plan B free agent, he was incapable of signing with another team without providing his old team the first opportunity to sign him again. The rest of the players were left unprotected, liberated to negotiate contracts with the rest of the teams in the league.

Eight players sued the NFL in U.S. federal court, stating that Plan B was an unlawful restraint of trade. In 1992, a jury found that Plan B violated antitrust laws and awarded damages to the players.

Major League Baseball usage[link]

In Major League Baseball, free agents are currently classified as either Type A, Type B, or unclassified. Type A free agents are those determined by the Elias Sports Bureau to be in the top 20% of all players based on the previous two seasons. Type B free agents are those in the next 20%. Unclassified free agents are those remaining in the bottom 60% of players.

Teams that lose a Type A free agent, to whom they have offered arbitration, receive the top draft pick from the team that signs the free agent, plus a supplemental draft pick in the upcoming draft as compensation. Teams losing Type B free agents, to whom they have offered arbitration, receive only a supplemental pick as compensation.

Teams that lose unclassified free agents, or who do not offer arbitration to classified free agents, do not receive any compensation.^[2]

The next collective bargaining agreement between MLB and its players union, signed on November 22, 2011 and taking effect with the 2012 season, will dramatically change free agent compensation. Players will no longer be classified by type. Instead, a team will only be able to receive draft pick compensation if it makes its former player an offer at least equal to the average of the 125 richest contracts.^[3] However, if a player is traded during the final season of his contract, his new team will be ineligible to receive any draft pick compensation.^[4]

National Hockey League usage[link]

In the NHL, between 2005 and 2008, the age of unrestricted free agency declined from 31 to 27. As of 2008, any player who is at least 27 years old or has at least seven years of service as an NHL player, and whose contract has expired, will become an unrestricted free agent. On July 1 of each year the free agency period begins,^[5] and unrestricted free agents are free to negotiate and sign contracts with any team. Under the old collective agreement, which expired in 2005, draft picks were awarded as compensation when a team lost an unrestricted free agent; however, under the current CBA teams losing unrestricted free agents do not receive any compensation.

In addition, any player at least 22 years of age who has not been selected in the NHL Draft can sign with any team as a free agent.

Australian Football League usage[link]

The Australian Football League will introduce free agency from the end of 2012. Out-of-contract players who are not within the top 25% paid players at their club will become unrestricted free agents after eight seasons of service at one club; out-of-contract players who are within the top 25% paid players at their club become restricted free agents after eight seasons, then become unrestricted free agents after ten seasons. Clubs receive compensation in the form of draft picks for the loss of out-of-contract free agents. Additionally, players who are delisted will become unrestricted free agents, regardless of length of service; clubs are not compensated for the transfer of such free agents.^[6]

Drawbacks for owners[link]

The economics of free agency are disadvantageous for team owners; it can lead to bidding wars—and increased player salaries mean decreased owner profits. Restrictions on free agency have therefore been preferred by North American team owners since the abolition of the reserve clause. For example, a draft can be used to keep young and talented players from generating bidding wars and causing higher player salaries throughout the league. Furthermore, some teams which play in large market cities, and hence have a larger revenue stream, would be able to outbid other teams for talented players. Some leagues, such as the National Football League and the National Basketball Association have imposed salary cap rules in order to avert such bidding wars.

In Europe, the wages of the top players have increased dramatically since the Bosman ruling, although this is partly because of increased television revenues. Some club chairmen have called for a payroll cap in a bid to control player wages, but this would almost certainly be ruled anti-competitive and therefore illegal under EU law. As in North America, the number of transfers involving a fee are on the decline since clubs can wait for players to finish their contracts and become unrestricted. Also in Major League Baseball the larger and more successful teams often trump the lesser income teams from lack of a salary cap.

Deadlines[link]

In some leagues, free agency has deadlines. For example, under the current NHL Collective Bargaining Agreement, restricted free agents who do not sign contracts by December 1 of a given year will be ineligible to play in the National Hockey League for the balance of that season. However, other leagues (such as the National Basketball Association) have no such restrictions.

In Europe, players can only move during transfer windows—during the close season and half-way through the league season. There are exceptions for unsigned professional players in the lower divisions.

See also[link]

• Free agent (business)
• Restricted free agent
• Undrafted sportsperson

References[link]

External links[link]

Brandon Jennings

Jennings with the Bucks
No. 3 – Milwaukee Bucks
Point guard
Personal information
Born	(1989-09-23) September 23, 1989 (age 22) Compton, California
Nationality	American
High school	Dominguez HS (Compton, California) Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Virginia)
Listed height	6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Listed weight	169 lb (77 kg)
Career information
NBA Draft	2009 / Round: 1 / Pick: 10th overall
Selected by the Milwaukee Bucks
Pro career	2008–present
Career history
2008–2009	Lottomatica Roma (Italy)
2009–present	Milwaukee Bucks
Career highlights and awards
NBA All-Rookie First Team (2010) Naismith Prep Player of the Year (2008)

Brandon Jennings (born September 23, 1989) is an American professional basketball player for the Milwaukee Bucks of the National Basketball Association (NBA) who plays at point guard.

Jennings was a highly acclaimed high school player, averaging 32.7 points and 7.4 assists as a senior, and won all major player of the year awards in his senior year. After graduating from Oak Hill Academy, he decided to play professional basketball with the Italian club Lottomatica Roma instead of playing collegiately for the University of Arizona Wildcats, leading to controversy and debate on the NBA's "prep-to-pro" policy adopted in 2006. After a year in Italy, Jennings declared for the 2009 NBA Draft and was selected 10th overall by the Bucks.

Early life[link]

Brandon Jennings was born to Alice Knox. He has a brother named Terrence Phillips.^[1]

High school[link]

Jennings attended Dominguez High School in Compton, California for his freshman and sophomore year. Before his junior year, Jennings transferred to powerhouse Oak Hill Academy in Mouth of Wilson, Virginia. In his last year of high school, Jennings averaged 32.7 points, 7.4 assists, and 5.1 rebounds per game^[2] and set the school record for points in a season. This performance earned him some of high school basketball’s most prestigious awards: the 2008 Naismith Prep Player of the Year Award, 2007–08 Gatorade Player of the Year (Virginia), 2008 Parade Magazine Player of the Year and 2008 EA Sports Player of the Year. He led his 2006–2007 team to a 41–1 record and the top ranking in the USA Today Super 25 list of high school teams.^[3] He was rated as the nation's #1 high school basketball prospect in the class of 2008 by Scout.com,^[4] the #1 prospect in the ESPNU 150,^[5] and the #4 prospect by Rivals.com.^[6]

College plans[link]

In August 2006, he chose to attend USC. On April 24, 2007, he decided instead to join the University of Arizona Wildcats, citing Arizona's quality academic faculty and his desire to play with Jerryd Bayless. (Bayless left after one season to enter the 2008 NBA Draft.)^[7] In November 2007, SLAM Magazine’s third edition of PUNKS featured Jennings on the cover along with three other top-rated high school guards (Jrue Holiday, Tyreke Evans and Lance Stephenson).^[8][9]

In June 2008, Jennings attended the premiere of Beastie Boys' Adam Yauch's basketball movie Gunnin' For That #1 Spot at the Magic Johnson Theater in Harlem. Also attending were Kevin Love, Lance Stephenson, Brook Lopez, Robin Lopez, DJ Augustin, and Adam Yauch. The film follows eight top high school players—including Jennings—from their hometowns to NYC, for the 2006 Elite 24 at Rucker Park.

In June 2008, Jennings announced that he was considering becoming the first American to skip college to play professionally in Europe. The NBA requires players to be at least 19 years old and one year removed from high school before entering the league, meaning that Jennings could not enter the 2008 NBA draft. Jennings declared that his goal was to play in the NBA and that playing overseas instead of at an American college could be his best route to gain experience and make money until he was eligible to join the NBA.^[10]

Italian career[link]

On July 16, 2008, Jennings signed with Lottomatica Roma of the Italian Lega A.^[11] The contract he signed with Roma was for $1.65 million net income guaranteed^[12] and after earning the contract with Lottomatica, Under Armour gave Jennings a $2 million contract^[13] to showcase their products in the Euroleague. Jennings was the first player to play for a European team rather than play for a college basketball team since the NBA's age restriction rule was implemented.

In the Italian Lega A 2008-09 season, Jennings averaged in 27 games, 5.5 points, 1.6 rebounds, 2.2 assists, and 1.5 steals in 17.0 minutes per game. He shot 35.1 percent from the field and 20.7 percent from 3 point range in Lega A play.^[14] In 16 Euroleague games, Jennings averaged 7.6 points, 1.6 rebounds, 1.6 assists, and 1.2 steals in 19.6 minutes per game. In the Euroleague he shot 38.7 percent from the field and 26.8 percent from 3 point range.^[15]

NBA career[link]

2009 NBA Draft[link]

Jennings during a game against the Detroit Pistons.

Jennings was selected tenth overall by the Milwaukee Bucks in the 2009 NBA Draft. He became the first player who skipped college to play professional basketball in Europe to be drafted by an NBA team. Jennings also made a notable appearance at the draft. He had initially decided not to attend the draft and preferred to be at a family function during the draft. After he was drafted by the Bucks, he left the family function and headed to Madison Square Garden. He later came out on stage after the 14th pick was announced to have his picture taken with NBA commissioner David Stern, just like all drafted players who attend the draft.^[16]

Rookie season[link]

During Jennings's NBA regular season debut on October 30, 2009, against the Philadelphia 76ers, Jennings recorded 17 points, 9 rebounds, 9 assists, and hit 2 three-point shots, just shy of a triple-double, and played 34 minutes. In his second game, on October 31, 2009, against the Detroit Pistons, also the debut in Bradley Center, Jennings scored 16 points during the third quarter and a team-high 24 points for the game to lead the Milwaukee Bucks to their first victory of the 2009–10 regular season.

On November 14, 2009, after a scoreless first quarter, Jennings scored 29 points in the 3rd quarter against Golden State en route to a total of 55 points in the game to break the team record for most points by a rookie previously set by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in 1970. Jennings's performance was the most points scored by a rookie since Earl "The Pearl" Monroe scored 56 in 1968. He became the youngest player to ever score 55, collecting the second-highest total for a player under 21, behind only LeBron James's 56 points in March 2005, and the second-most points scored by a Milwaukee Buck (behind Michael Redd's 57 in 2006).^[17] On February 2, 2010, he was selected to compete in the Skills Challenge.^[18]

2010–11 season[link]

On October 30, 2010, Jennings recorded his first ever triple double, with 20 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists against the Charlotte Bobcats. On December 15, 2010, Jennings broke his left foot against the San Antonio Spurs when he came down awkwardly on his ankle.^[19] Despite the injury, he played 30 minutes the following game against the Jazz. The team later confirmed that Jennings would miss the next four to six weeks as he recovered from surgery to repair a fracture in his left foot.^[20] He had been averaging 18.7 points per game before the injury.^[21] Jennings missed a total of 19 games with the injury before returning on January 29, 2011 in a 91-81 home victory over the New Jersey Nets.^[22] He scored a season-high 37 points against the New York Knicks on March 25, 2011.^[23]

NBA career statistics[link]

Regular season[link]

Playoffs[link]

Awards[link]

• 2005 Press Telegram Freshmen Player of the Year
• Named the Most Valuable Player of the 2006 Les Schwab Invitational Tournament
• Co-MVP of the 2007 Elite 24 Hoops Classic (with Tyreke Evans)
• 2007 Las Vegas Easter Classic Most Valuable Player
• 2007 NBAPS Top 100 High School Camp Best Playmaker
• 2007 The Goazcats.com Showdown Most Valuable Player
• 2008 Naismith Male Player of the year
• 2007–08 Gatorade Player of the year Virginia
• 2008 Parade Magazine Player of the Year
• 2008 EA SPORTS National Player of the Year
• 2008 McDonald's All-American
• 2007–08 MaxPreps National Player of the Year
• 2008 Jordan Brand Classic Most Valuable Player for the East
• No. 1 rated senior by ESPN (2008)
• No. 1 rated senior by Van Coleman Hoopmaster (2008)
• No. 1 rated senior by Clark Franics Hoopscoop (2007 and 2008)
• No. 1 rated senior by Dave Telep Scout.com 2008
• Eastern Conference NBA Rookie of the Month (Oct./Nov. 2009)
• Eastern Conference NBA Rookie of the Month (Dec. 2009)
• Eastern Conference NBA Rookie of the Month (Jan. 2010)
• 2009-10 NBA 1st Team All-Rookie (unanimous selection)

Records[link]

NBA records

• Youngest player in NBA history to score 50 or more points in a game

• &1000000000000002000000020 years, &1000000000000005200000052 days
• 55, Milwaukee Bucks vs. Golden State Warriors, 02009-11-14November 14, 2009

Ranks 2nd in NBA history in:

• Field goals made, quarter

• 12, third quarter, Milwaukee Bucks vs. Golden State Warriors, 02009-11-14November 14, 2009
• Tied with six other players who have made 12 field goals in a quarter
• NBA record is held by David Thompson, with 13

Milwaukee Bucks franchise records
Rookie

• Points, game, rookie: 55, vs. Golden State Warriors, 02009-11-14November 14, 2009

• Tied with multiple players for 4th highest tally in NBA history by a rookie

• Field goals made, game, rookie: 21, vs. Golden State Warriors, 02009-11-14November 14, 2009

Franchise

• Points, half: 45, second half, vs. Golden State Warriors, 02009-11-14November 14, 2009
• Points, quarter: 29, third quarter, vs. Golden State Warriors, 02009-11-14November 14, 2009
• Field goals made, half: 17, second half, vs. Golden State Warriors, 02009-11-14November 14, 2009
• Field goals made, quarter: 12, third quarter, vs. Golden State Warriors, 02009-11-14November 14, 2009

Charity[link]

After an earthquake in Italy while he was playing there in April 2009, Jennings donated $50,000 to support victims.^[24]

Jennings participated in Steve Nash's Showdown in Chinatown charity soccer match in New York City on June 24, 2010.^[25]

References[link]

External links[link]

• Brandon's Official Website
• NBA.com Profile
• Profile on Rivals.com
• Profile on Scout.com
• Brandon Jennings News
• High school hoops star struggles abroad: Picking Italy over college starts to backfire for Jennings