NBA Free Agency 101
NBA Free Agency
NBA Free Agency is a pivotal period in the National Basketball Association (NBA) calendar during which teams can sign new players who are not currently under contract. This period marks the beginning of the offseason and plays a critical role in roster building.
NBA Free Agency Negotiation Period
Key dates in NBA free agency include the day after the NBA Finals, when teams can start negotiating with their own pending free agents to secure new contracts before other teams can make offers. On June 30 at 6 p.m. ET, the broader free agency window opens, allowing teams to engage with free agents from other teams, leading to intense negotiations and media speculation. Finally, on July 6 at 12:01 p.m. ET, teams can officially sign free agents, finalizing agreements and impacting salary cap considerations as rosters are solidified for the upcoming season.
NBA Unrestricted Free Agent
Unrestricted free agents are players who have completed their contracts and are free to sign with any team. They have typically accrued several seasons in the league.
NBA Restricted Free Agent
A restricted free agent (RFA) in the NBA can sign an offer sheet with any team, but their original team can retain them by matching the offer, a process known as "right of first refusal." Restricted free agency applies after the fourth year of rookie-scale contracts for first-round picks and for veterans with three or fewer NBA seasons. If a team doesn’t extend a rookie’s contract after their second or third year, they become unrestricted free agents. Players on two-way contracts with 15 days on an NBA roster also qualify. RFAs can accept a qualifying offer, sign a maximum offer, negotiate a new contract, sign an offer sheet with another team, or arrange a sign-and-trade deal. If no offer is signed within a year, the original team can extend a new qualifying offer, making the player a restricted free agent again.
NBA Salary Cap
The NBA Salary Cap sets a limit on the amount of money that NBA teams can spend on player salaries. It is a key component of the league's collective bargaining agreement (CBA) with its players. The cap is designed to promote competitive balance among teams by preventing any single team from significantly outspending others on player talent.
