SimHoops U
Class 301: General Manager Options
I. Restricted Free Agency
Restricted free agency gives teams the first chance to retain their own players, but it is intentionally not built for re-signing everyone. Owners are expected to prioritize who they want to keep and spend accordingly.
Players are assigned tiers from 1 to 6. Tier 1 players are the true stars, while Tier 6 players are near replacement level. Teams get two chances to sign a player before he reaches unrestricted free agency.
If you decline to make an offer or make an insulting offer, the player’s willingness to return in UFA drops sharply. Tier 1 and 2 players also expect guaranteed deals, and Tier 1 players under 30 generally expect five-year offers.
Offering the top of a player’s request range usually produces roughly an 80-85% chance to sign him. Offering the bottom of the acceptable range tends to land in the 65-70% range. The overall signing ceiling is 95%.
II. Restricted Free Agency Tier / Salary Ranges
These were the legacy RFA expectations as of Season 40, before any player-specific adjustments tied to positional scarcity or same-tier teammates.
| Tier | Salary Floor | Salary Minimum | Salary Maximum |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1800 | 2000 | 2750 |
| 2 | 1440 | 1600 | 2000 |
| 3 | 1080 | 1200 | 1600 |
| 4 | 810 | 900 | 1200 |
| 5 | 630 | 700 | 900 |
| 6 | 450 | 500 | 700 |
III. Unrestricted Free Agency: Round 1
Round 1 is the premium market for stars. A player only participates if at least one team offers 100% or more of his current salary. Up to six serious offers survive, and each gets a percentage chance to sign the player based on the full offer profile.
Teams can prioritize targets and can sign up to 26 combined Elite and Semi-Pro players for the upcoming season.
IV. Unrestricted Free Agency: Round 2
Round 2 follows the same general process as Round 1, except the trigger threshold drops to 80% of the player’s current salary.
V. Unrestricted Free Agency: Round 3
Round 3 is the cleanup market. Any player who can sign, given roster and cap rules, will sign. Anyone who still does not land a deal enters the in-season free-agent market at the applicable minimum contract value.
- Under age 25 minimum: 300.
- Age 25 and older minimum: 400.
VII. College Draft
The college draft feeds the long-term talent pipeline. SimHoops sources draft classes from Drive The Lane college basketball, then generates pro-specific ratings from those players with help from their statistical profiles.
The top 40 prospects at each position receive at least one pre-draft camp look, and camp performance can directly improve a player’s ratings. Owners can also trade picks and players once they have purchased a package, and all incoming rookies receive four-year contracts.