When Does NBA Free Agency Begin?

NBA free agency begins on July 1st at 12:01 AM ET. Teams can begin negotiating with free agents at that time, but no signings can be made until the moratorium period ends on July 6th.

NBA Free Agency

What is NBA free agency?

NBA free agency is a period of the year when professional basketball teams can sign free agent players to contract agreements. Free agency in the NBA officially begins on the first day of July, but most player-team negotiations actually begin during the June 30th Moratorium period. During free agency, NBA players who are not under contract with any team are free to sign with any team in the league that they choose. NBA free agency typically lasts for about two months, until September, when training camps for the upcoming season open around the league.

After a tumultuous 2019 offseason in which nearly half of the league’s All-Stars changed teams, NBA free agency this summer might not be as eventful as last year’s. Most of the big-name stars who could have been free agents — including Kawhi Leonard, Paul George, Kyrie Irving and Kemba Walker — have already agreed to new deals with their current teams or signed elsewhere. Still, there are plenty of capable role players and starters who could help shape the landscape of the 2019-20 season by choosing new teams in free agency.

When does NBA free agency begin?

NBA free agency begins on July 1 at 12:01 a.m. ET, league sources told ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

Teams can begin negotiating with free agents on June 30 at 6 p.m. ET, but no agreements can be reached until after the beginning of the new league year on July 1.

Key Dates

The NBA’s free agency period begins on July 1st at 12:01 AM ET and teams can start signing players to contracts. The moratorium period ends on July 6th at 11:59 PM ET.

July 1: Start of free agency

The 2019 NBA free agency period officially begins at 6 p.m. ET on Sunday, July 1. At that point, teams are able to contact and negotiate contracts with players who will be free agents when their current deals expire on June 30.

Although verbal agreements can be reached starting on July 1, contracts cannot be signed until the league’s moratorium period ends at noon ET on July 6. During the moratorium period, teams are able to withdrew their free agent offer to a player at any time.

Once the moratorium ends and free agency official begins, players can sign with any team, even if they have already been verbally committed to another squad.

In recent years, many of the league’s biggest free agents have reached agreements early in the process, often on or before July 1. However, there are usually a handful of notable names that remain unsigned well into August or September.

July 6-9: NBA Summer League

The NBA Summer League is an off-season competition organized by the National Basketball Association. The league’s inaugural season took place in July of 2010 and featured six teams: the Golden State Warriors, New York Knicks, Los Angeles Clippers, Los Angeles Lakers, Phoenix Suns, and the then-newly relocated Charlotte Bobcats (now the Hornets).

The league has expanded significantly since then, with there now being a total of 30 teams participating in both an Orlando and Las Vegas summer league. The league runs from July 6th to the 9th for a total of four days, with each team playing three games.

September 27-30: Training camp

During training camp, teams are allowed to have a maximum of 30 players on their roster. These players consist of veterans, free agents, and rookies. On September 27, all teams must submit their final 20-man regular season roster to the league office. Players who are cut from NBA training camps will then have an opportunity to sign with NBA G League teams.

The cut-down date to the final 15-man regular season roster isn’t until October 22. NBA teams can carry up to two players on two-way contracts in addition to their 15-man roster. These deals are split between the NBA team and its G League affiliate. Players on two-way contracts can spend up to 45 days with their NBA team while earning a prorated portion of the league minimum salary ($898,310) plus housing and meal allowances.

Eligibility

Players become eligible for free agency when their contract expires or they opt out of their contract. If a player is waived, they become an unrestricted free agent. There are also restricted and unrestricted free agents. We’ll get into more detail about that later.

Players with seven or fewer years of service

Players with seven or fewer years of service become restricted free agents when their contract expires if they have been tendered a qualifying offer (QO) by their previous team. They can negotiate with any team, but their original team has the right to match any offer sheet they sign. If their original team declines to match an offer sheet, they can sign with the new team, but the old team is entitled to compensation in the form of draft picks.

Players with eight or more years of service

Players with eight or more years of service are unrestricted free agents and can sign with any team. The previous year’s salary is used to determine the player’s free agency status. Players with six or seven years of service become restricted free agents and can sign an offer sheet with any other team, but their original team has the right to match the offer and keep the player. Players with three years or less of service are restricted free agents if they have received a “qualifying offer” from their team (a one-year contract at 120% of their previous salary). If they do not receive a qualifying offer, they become unrestricted free agents.

Free Agent Classes

Free agency in the National Basketball Association (NBA) refers to the period when players are not under contract with any team and are free to sign with any club. The NBA’s free agency period begins on July 1 each year. Players can sign new contracts with their previous team, sign with a new team, or simply let their contract expire.

Unrestricted free agents

Unrestricted free agents are free to sign with any team, without restriction, when their contract expires. If the player’s most recent team does not offer him a new contract (or an acceptable contract) before free agency begins, he may sign a new contract with any other team starting on the first day of the league’s new fiscal year. Unrestricted free agents can also sign offer sheets with other teams, but their current team has the right to match the offer and keep them. If the team declines to match, they may receive compensation in the form of draft picks from the signing team.

Restricted free agents

Restricted free agents are players with three or fewer years of service who have received a qualifying offer from their team. The qualifying offer is a one-year contract at the player’s salary from the previous season. To retain the services of a restricted free agent, a team must tender him a qualifying offer. If the player does not sign the qualifying offer, he becomes an unrestricted free agent.

If a restricted free agent signs an offer sheet with another team, his former team has seven days to match the offer and keep him. If the team does not match the offer, it may receive compensation in the form of draft picks from the signing team.

Option players

Option players are those who have a player option in their contract for the upcoming season. This means that they can choose to either opt-in to their current contract for another season or become a free agent. If they opt-in, they are essentially saying that they are happy with their current situation and don’t feel the need to test the market. However, if they opt-out, they become free agents and can sign with any team that they want.

Free Agent Rights

After a player’s fourth season in the NBA, they become a restricted or unrestricted free agent. Unrestricted free agents can sign with any team, without restriction, while restricted free agents can sign an offer sheet with any team, but their original team has the right to match the offer and keep the player.

Bird rights

Under the NBA’s collective bargaining agreement, a player is classified as a “free agent” when his contract expires or he is otherwise released by his team. Players with fewer than three years of service are restricted free agents, and can only sign new contracts with their current team or one of the league’s other 29 teams. Unrestricted free agents are free to sign with any team.

In order to become an unrestricted free agent, a player must have completed four full seasons in the NBA, or have been released by his team after completing their third season. Once a player becomes a free agent, he can sign with any team that has the salary cap space to accommodate his contract.

There is one exception to this rule known as the “Bird Exception”, named after Boston Celtics legend Larry Bird. The Bird Exception allows a team to exceed the salary cap to re-sign their own free agent, even if that player has been in the league for less than four years. In order to qualify for this exception, the player must have spent at least three seasons with the same team (known as ” vested years”).

Non-Bird rights

In order to become a free agent, a player must have completed four seasons in the NBA, or three seasons if they were drafted out of college and their team declined to give them a fourth-year contract (known as the team’s option). Players can also become free agents if they have been waived by their team.

Players with non-Bird rights can only sign for the lesser of: (1) 120% of their previous salary; or (2) the average salary.

For example, if a player made $5 million last season, he can sign for a maximum of $6 million with his current team this offseason. If that same player was waived, he could sign for up to $10.5 million with any other team because he would be considered an open market free agent.

Early Bird rights

In order to become a free agent, a player must have spent at least 3 years in the NBA, or have their contract options picked up by their current team. They may also become free agents if they are waived by their team.

There are two types of free agency in the NBA: Early Bird and Non-Bird. Early Bird free agents are players who have been with their current team for at least 3 years, or who have had their contract options picked up by their team. Non-Bird free agents are players who have been with their current team for fewer than 3 years, or who have been waived by their team.

Players who have Early Bird rights can sign new contracts with their current team for up to 175% of their previous salary, or they can sign with another team for up to 120% of their previous salary. Players who have Non-Bird rights can sign new contracts with their current team for up to 120% of their previous salary, or they can sign with another team for up to 105% of their previous salary.

The NBA’s free agency period begins on July 1st and ends on September 8th. Teams are able to renegotiate contracts and extend qualifying offers to players during this time.

Free Agent Process

NBA free agency begins on July 1st at 12:01 am Eastern Time. Players can officially sign with teams on July 6th. The NBA’s free-agent moratorium period is from July 1st-5th. During this time, teams are allowed to negotiate with free agents, but no contracts can be signed.

Moratorium period

From July 1st until July 6th, teams and players can negotiate, but no agreements can be finalized or announced. In order for a free agent to sign with a new team during the moratorium period, the player and team must agree on both salary and length of contract. These deals cannot be made official until the moratorium period ends on July 6th.

Signing period

NBA free agency begins at 12:01 a.m. EDT on the morning of July 1 following the expiration of the league’s last Collective Bargaining Agreement. The previous Agreement expired on June 30, 2011, so free agency for the 2011-12 season began on July 1, 2011.

The NBA’s current Collective Bargaining Agreement was signed on December 8, 2011, and it expires on June 30, 2021. So free agency for the 2021-22 season will begin on July 1, 2021.

Free Agent Types

Street free agents

Street free agents are players who are not under contract with any team. They are free to sign with any team that offers them a contract, but they are not eligible for benefits such as the NBA’s minimum salary or health insurance.

The vast majority of street free agents are undrafted rookies who were not selected in the NBA Draft, but there are also a number of veteran players who become street free agents after being released by their teams.

Players can become street free agents in one of two ways:

-They can be released by their team before the start of the regular season.
-They can choose to opt out of their contract if they have a player or team option for the upcoming season.

Group II free agents

Group II free agents are players with two or fewer years of service time. These players do not have much negotiating power, as they are still working under their rookie contract scale and do not have full Bird or Early Bird rights. Group II free agents can be restricted or unrestricted, depending on if they meet the criteria for being a “Qualifying Veteran Free Agent” (QVFA). A player must have played under their rookie contract for three years to be a QVFA. Otherwise, they will be an “Early Qualifying Veteran Free Agent” (EQVFA) and will have Early Bird rights.

If a player is a Group II restricted free agent, his current team has the right to match any offer sheet he signs with another team. If the player’s current team does not match the offer sheet, the player is free to sign with the new team, but his former team will receive compensation in the form of draft picks.

If a Group II free agent is unrestricted, he is free to sign with any team without restriction or compensation.

Group III free agents

Group III free agents are players who have spent three or more seasons in the NBA, and whose previous contract was not renewed by their previous team, making them unrestricted free agents. These players are free to sign with any team, without restriction.