The draft has wrapped and the NBA’s stars of tomorrow have found their new homes. But the fun and excitement of what stands to be one of the most entertaining — and important — summers of this era is only just beginning.
Teams like the Los Angeles Lakers will look to make a splash in free agency, clubs like the Houston Rockets, Philadelphia 76ers, and Boston Celtics will look to add more big-name talent to their already loaded lineups. Others like the Toronto Raptors will explore trades and navigate the waters of restricted free agency, all in the hopes of building a contending team, be it for next season or beyond.
Let’s take a look at some frequently asked questions as the off-season heats up:
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What are the key dates this summer?
June 24: Last day for restricted free agents to be able to exercise player options.
June 30: Last day for teams to make qualifying offers to players eligible for restricted free agency.
July 1st: Free agent moratorium period begins (teams can officially engage in negotiations with players).
July 6th: Free agents can officially be signed by teams. This is also when the two-day period for teams to match offers sent to restricted free agents begins. For example, if the Orlando Magic offer RFA Fred VanVleet a contract during the moratorium period, this is when the Raptors will have the opportunity to match the offer if they choose to.
July 6th: The NBA Summer League in Las Vegas begins and runs until the 17th. This year, for the first time, all 30 teams will be represented in Vegas. For a full schedule click here.
July 15: Last day to sign first-round draft picks before they become unrestricted free agents.
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What does the free agency “moratorium” period mean?
This time last year, Sportsnet’s Steven Loung summarized the moratorium period nicely:
“Perhaps the largest source of confusion for casual NBA fans is the difference between the signing moratorium period and when free-agent contracts can actually be signed.
As mentioned off the top, free agency opens on July 1, but that doesn’t mean that contracts can begin to be signed just after midnight. Instead, the NBA has something called the ‘moratorium period’ and it lasts until July 6 at 12 p.m. ET. During this time, teams and players are allowed to reach verbal agreements on new deals, but they can’t formally put pen to paper until it’s over.
This is why you see so many reports of signings right as free agency opens, but nothing becomes official until a few days later.
Because only verbal agreements can be made, it can lead to bizarre situations like what we saw in the summer of 2015 with DeAndre Jordan and the Dallas Mavericks. When word leaked that Jordan was leaving the Los Angeles Clippers for Dallas, he was essentially held hostage by his Clippers teammates until being peer pressured into staying in Los Angeles.”
So, while fan bases can get excited when news leaks that Big Name Free Agent X plans to sign with their team, hold off the real celebration until the moratorium period is lifted.
Who are the top names in free agency?
Unrestricted Free Agents:
LeBron James (player option)
Kevin Durant (player option)
Chris Paul
Paul George (player option)
DeMarcus Cousins
DeAndre Jordan (player option)
Isaiah Thomas
Trevor Ariza
Enes Kanter (player option)
Will Barton
JJ Redick
Restricted Free Agents:
Clint Capela
Aaron Gordon
Marcus Smart
Julius Randle
Jabari Parker
Fred VanVleet
Zach LaVine
Jusuf Nurkic
Elfrid Payton
Stay tuned for a summer that should be filled with plenty of fireworks.
