Timing is key
The benefit in restricted agency is that Portland controls the process up to a point. Building relationships with agents is one element of a general manager’s job that goes unnoticed by the public.
The trust that GM Neil Olshey has built with restricted free agents Meyers Leonard, Allen Crabbe and Maurice Harkless, along with their agents, will be critical.
Leading up to free agency, it will be important for Olshey to get a baseline on what his own free agents will cost. Although the market, team needs and cap space will dictate the process, having a clear understanding of his players’ preliminary salary expectations will shape Portland’s direction.
Portland wants to avoid having one of its players sign an offer sheet with another team in early July. If that happens the cap space the Trail Blazers have created could eventually be lost.
