Tornike Shengelia: Brooklyn Nets Contract Breakdown

The Numbers:
2012-13: $473,604
2013-14: $788,872
2014-15: $1,115,243 (projected qualifying offer — see below)

Contract: Tornike Shengelia signed a two-year contract worth the rookie minimum after the Brooklyn Nets bought his rights in the 2012 NBA Draft. The Nets drafted Shengelia after buying the 54th pick for an undisclosed amount (no more than $1 million), then paid $300,000 to Belgian club Spirou Charleroi to release him from his contract overseas.

Options: As a second-round pick in 2012, Tornike Shengelia’s contract lasts for two seasons at the minimum salary. After next season, Shengelia’s contract expires, and the Nets have a few options.

The most likely scenario is that they offer Shengelia a qualifying offer, worth a little more than 1.1 million. If Shengelia accepts the qualifying offer, he’ll be with the Nets for another season (barring a trade) and will become a restricted free agent in the 2015 offseason. If Shengelia declines the qualifying offer, he becomes a restricted free agent immediately.

If the Nets do not tender Shengelia a qualifying offer, it could be for one of two reasons: 1) they’re choosing to release him, or 2) they want to sign him with the Early Bird exception, which would allow them to sign Shengelia for up to 104.5% of the minimum salary. Barring a breakout sophomore season, that scenario won’t happen.

Qualifying offer note: Tornike Shengelia’s qualifying offer could potentially be higher than $1.1 million if he meets the “starter’s criteria” — met by 1) either playing 2,000 minutes or starting 41 games in the final season of his contract, or 2) averaging those numbers in the final two seasons of his contract. Unless the world collapses within itself at the points between Gerald Wallace, Joe Johnson, and MarShon Brooks’s houses, that won’t happen. But in the event that Shengelia meets the starter criteria, his qualifying offer would jump to a little under $3.3 million.

Expectations: Despite not having much depth at small forward, Tornike Shengelia barely played in his rookie season and isn’t expected to get much more playing time in 2013-14. It’s possible that the Nets do not tender Shengelia a qualifying offer if he can’t see the floor again, especially with Croatian Bojan Bogdanovic likely coming over to take additional minutes at the wings.