Tyreke Evans officially becomes restricted free agent

The Kings will be allowed the first right of refusal and can match any offer another team makes in order to keep Evans. They will have three days to do so under that provision.

The move is thought to be nothing more than a formality since all signs point to the Kings keeping their floor general. Now that they’ve taken the first step in giving him a qualifying offer, they can either add one additional year to his current deal or rework a new, multiyear contract along with potentially matching any other offer.

The 2010 NBA Rookie of the Year saw a decline in production in 2012-13; in 65 games, he averaged 15.2 points and 3.5 assists after averaging 18.5 and 5.3 over his first three seasons. Despite that, he figures to be a big part of future plans as the Kings move in a new direction under new leadership.

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