If a player declines a required tender, what happens to their status?

When a player declines a required tender, they are effectively rejecting an offer made by their team to remain under contract for the following season. A tender is often associated with restricted free agency, where teams have the right to match offers made by other teams. If the player chooses not to accept this tender, they forfeit their rights to the original contract. As a consequence, the player becomes a free agent.

In this status, they can negotiate with any team in the league, meaning they have greater freedom to explore opportunities elsewhere. This situation typically gives the player leverage in securing a new contract that may better suit their expectations or playing aspirations.

In contrast, the other scenarios—being traded, having their contract extended, or remaining with the team—are not applicable because declining a tender suggests a clear movement away from the current team’s contractual obligations. Therefore, the player's transformation into a free agent is a direct outcome of declining the tender.