Key In-Season NBA Dates For 2018/19

With the 2018/19 NBA season underway, our calendar of important 2018 preseason dates and deadlines can be retired in favor of a list of the key in-season dates for the ’18/19 campaign. Here’s a breakdown of the deadlines and events that will influence player movement for the next several months across the NBA:

October 20

• NBA G League draft.

October 22

• NBA G League training camps open.

October 31

• Deadline for teams to exercise rookie scale options for 2019/20.

November 2

• NBA G League season begins.

December 1

• Priority order for waiver claims is now based on 2018/19 record, rather than 2017/18 record. Teams with the worst records receive the highest waiver priority.

December 15

• Most offseason signees become eligible for inclusion in trades.

January 5

• First day teams can sign players to 10-day contracts.

January 7

• Last day to waive non-guaranteed NBA contracts before they become guaranteed for the rest of the season. Salaries officially guarantee on January 10 if players haven’t cleared waivers before that date.

January 15

• Most other offseason signees become eligible for inclusion in trades.
• Last day to apply for a disabled player exception.
• Last day to sign a two-way contract.

January 20

• Salaries for all two-way contracts become fully guaranteed.

February 1

• Former first-round picks who were stashed overseas may sign rookie scale NBA contracts for the 2019/20 season.

February 7

• Trade deadline (2:00pm CT).

February 15-17

• All-Star Weekend in Charlotte.

February 28

• Last day for contract renegotiations.

March 1

• Last day a player can be waived by one team and remain eligible to appear in the postseason for another team.
• Last day for a restricted free agent to sign an offer sheet.

March 11

• Last day to use a disabled player exception.

April 10

• Last day of the regular season.
• Last day players can sign contracts for 2018/19.
• Last day two-way contracts can be converted to standard NBA contracts.
• Luxury tax penalties calculated based on payroll as of this day.

April 12

• Playoff rosters set (2:00pm CT).

April 13

• Playoffs begin.

Larry Coon’s Salary Cap FAQ and NBA.com were used in the creation of this post.