NBA Dates and Deadlines to Watch for Rest of Season

With the NBA All-Star break behind us, teams are now locked in for the final stretch of the 2024-25 season. Playoff positioning, contract decisions, and roster adjustments will dominate the coming weeks. Here are the key dates to watch before the postseason begins in April.

February 28 – Contract Renegotiation Deadline

This is the last day for teams with cap space to renegotiate a player’s salary as part of a contract extension. However, with all 30 teams operating over the cap, no significant moves are expected.

March 1 – Playoff Eligibility Waiver Deadline

Any player who is waived on or before March 1 remains eligible for the postseason with another team. Those waived after March 1 will not be able to appear in the playoffs, regardless of when they sign with a new team.

March 4 – Two-Way Contract Deadline

This is the final day for teams to sign players to two-way contracts. Under the updated CBA, the deadline was pushed back from January 15, allowing teams to make late-season roster tweaks. With only three two-way contract openings remaining, expect some last-minute signings.

March 10 – Disabled Player Exception Deadline

Teams like the Hornets ($6.5M) and Jazz ($2.9M) still have available disabled player exceptions, but these are rarely used after the trade deadline. Most of these exceptions, including those held by the Pacers and Nuggets, are likely to expire.

April 10 – Final Roster Cut Deadline

This is the last day teams can waive a player on an expiring contract or one with a 2025-26 option. Players on longer-term deals can still be waived after this date.

April 13 – End of the Regular Season

• Last chance for teams to sign free agents for 2024-25
• Final day to convert two-way deals into standard contracts
• Luxury tax penalties calculated based on team payroll
  Expect contenders to add veterans for depth, while lottery teams may sign young players to non-guaranteed, multiyear deals.

April 14 – Playoff Rosters Set (3:00 PM ET)

April 15-18 – NBA Play-In Tournament

The seventh through tenth seeds in each conference will battle for the final playoff spots.

April 19 – NBA Playoffs Begin

With the play-in wrapped up, the top six teams in each conference will have a short break before the intensity of the NBA Playoffs kicks off.

With just weeks remaining, the stakes are high as teams finalize their rosters and positioning for the stretch run.