A small but important calendar flip hits this Wednesday in the NBA.
As detailed by Luke Adams of Hoops Rumors, if a free agent signs a standard contract with a team after Wednesday (Nov. 5), he’ll automatically become ineligible to be traded this season. This is a result of the league’s three-month trade restriction on newly signed standard deals.
The same rule applies to players who are promoted from two-ways to standard spots.
So if a player signs Thursday or later, his clock wouldn’t clear until Feb. 6. The trade deadline is Feb. 5. So if a player who signs a standard deal after Wednesday? He’s basically locked in for the season.
One example of this is Precious Achiuwa, expected to sign with the Kings today or tomorrow. If his deal becomes official on Tuesday, his restriction would end Feb. 4, or one day before the deadline. That would keep him in play on deadline eve.
A few other players who would become eligible in that narrow late-January window (if still under contract), per Adams:
Pacers guard Mac McClung, Jan. 28; Pelicans center DeAndre Jordan, Jan. 23; Hawks guard Keaton Wallace, Jan. 18; and Kings guard Russell Westbrook, Jan. 16
One last wrinkle — this does not apply to two-way contracts. Those only have a 30-day window. So a two-way signing as late as Jan. 6 would still be eligible to be moved before Feb. 5. That’s rare, but still possible.
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