Spurs take back offer granted to free agent guard Jonathon Simmons

The San Antonio Spurs has renounced the rights to Jonathon Simmons, the Express-News confirmed Thursday. The San Antonio Spurs has renounced the rights to Jonathon Simmons, the Express-News confirmed Thursday. Photo: Kin Man Hui /San Antonio Express-News Photo: Kin Man Hui /San Antonio Express-News Image 1 of / 33 Caption Close Spurs take back offer granted to free agent guard Jonathon Simmons 1 / 33 Back to Gallery

Jonathon Simmons is now a free man.

In an unexpected move, the Spurs rescinded their $1.6 million qualifying offer to Simmons making him an unrestricted free agent, league sources tell the Express-News.

The two sides couldn’t come to an agreement on a new deal or a potential sign-and-trade.

League sources tell the Express-News the Spurs failed to offer Simmons the Early Bird exception, which is available to players with two years in the league who have not changed teams in that period.

Simmons has only played two years in the NBA; hence, he fell under the “Gilbert Arenas” provision, which limits the amount he would earn in the first year a new contract (totaling the Non-Taxpayer Mid-Level exception, roughly $8.4 million) as a restricted free agent. The second year would give Simmons a 4.5 percent raise, before increasing significantly in the third year. The provision was put into place in 2005 in efforts to help original teams re-sign restricted free agents.

Recommended Video:

RELATED: Spurs' Simmons made some history on an otherwise bleak night

After talks on a new contract stalled, a sign-and-trade with the Phoenix Suns was presented. The deal featured the Spurs getting center Tyson Chandler in exchange for Simmons, but at the last minute, the Spurs backed out of the trade, not wanting to take on the remaining two years and roughly $26 million on Chandler’s deal.

According to league sources, Simmons’ representatives then spoke with Spurs officials late Wednesday in Las Vegas, where it was requested he become an unrestricted free agent. The team granted the request Thursday morning, the last day teams can pull qualifying offers.

Simmons averaged 6.2 points and 2.1 rebounds in 78 games with the Spurs last season.

When asked about Simmons’ time with the Spurs, head coach Gregg Popovich sent praise, saying Simmons has cemented a place for himself in the NBA.

“To see the progress he’s made is thrilling for us as a staff,” said Popovich at his end of the season conference in May. “Really happy for him because he’s going to have an NBA career now. He’s going to have a future in the NBA. He came along at both ends of the court and started to figure out what professionalism is and what it takes to be a consistent player.”

Simmons, 27, averaged 6.2 points and 2.1 rebounds in 78 games with the Spurs last season. He won favor with coach Gregg Popovich in the playoffs, first helping the Spurs eliminate the Houston Rockets in the Western Conference semifinals, and then in the conference finals against the Golden State Warriors.

RELATED: Spurs reportedly reach deal with Vegas Summer League star

Simmons made his second start of the postseason after Kawhi Leonard re-injured his ankle in Game 1 against the Warriors. He finished with a playoff career-high 22 points, three rebounds and three assists in Game 2.

"I don't know if he was the only, but one of the very few who came to play," said Popovich after Simmons' Game 2 performance.” Jon was great. On both ends of the floor, he was intense, and he played to win, for sure

The Spurs can still negotiate with Simmons as an unrestricted free agent, but league sources tell the Express-News his representatives were displeased with the way the Spurs negotiated with Simmons and will seek deals elsewhere before a commitment to re-sign in San Antonio.

Before the start of free agency, sources said Simmons had about 12 teams interested in signing him, including the New York Knicks, Sacramento Kings and Indiana Pacers. But with a tight restricted free agent market, it became difficult to secure a deal.

With restrictions lifted, expect Simmons to sign a new deal with the Spurs or another team sooner rather than later.

According to a report, the Spurs agreed to terms with free agent Brandon Paul. When reached via text, his agent Adam Pensack, would not confirm, saying: “Can’t comment on it.”

Paul, a 2013 undrafted guard from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, averaged 16.5 points and 5.5 rebounds in four games with the Dallas Mavericks in the Orlando Summer League. He then played three games with the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Las Vegas Summer League, averaging 14.3 points and five rebounds.

RELATED: The moves the Spurs have made during free agency and where the roster stands