Key 2019 NBA Offseason Dates, Deadlines

With the 2018/19 NBA regular season in the books, nearly half of the league’s teams have shifted their focus to the offseason, and others will soon follow suit. With that in mind, it’s time to retire our list of the NBA’s key in-season dates and deadlines for the ’18/19 campaign in favor of an updated offseason calendar of the most important dates facing teams and players in the coming months.

Here’s a breakdown of many of the NBA’s important dates and deadlines for the next few months, right up until training camps open for the 2019/20 season:

April 21

• Deadline for early entrants to declare for the NBA draft (10:59pm CT).
  • Note: For more information on draft-related dates and deadlines, check out our full breakdown.

May 14

• NBA draft lottery.

May 15-19

• NBA draft combine.

May 29

• Last day for early entrants to withdraw from the NBA draft and retain their NCAA eligibility (10:59pm CT).

June 10

• Deadline for all early entrants (including international players) to withdraw from the NBA draft (4:00pm CT).

June 16

• Latest possible end date for the NBA Finals.

June 20

• NBA draft day.

June 24

• Last day for potential restricted free agents to exercise player options.
• NBA awards show.

June 29

• Last day for decisions on player, team and early termination options, unless individual contracts specify otherwise.
• Last day for teams to make qualifying offers to players eligible for restricted free agency.
• Teams can begin contacting players and agents to set up free agent meetings (6:00pm ET).

June 30

• Last official day of the 2018/19 NBA league year.
• Last day for players eligible for veteran extensions in 2018/19 to sign them.

June 30 (6:00pm ET):

• Official start of the 2019/20 NBA league year.
• July moratorium begins.
• Free agents can begin reaching verbal agreements with teams.
• Restricted free agents can sign an offer sheet.
• Teams can begin signing players to rookie scale contracts, minimum salary contracts, and two-way contracts.

July 6

• July moratorium ends (11:00am CT)
• Teams can begin officially signing players, extending players, and completing trades.
• The two-day period for matching an RFA offer sheet signed during the moratorium begins.

July 13

• Last day for teams to unilaterally withdraw qualifying offers to restricted free agents.

July 15

• Last day for teams to issue required tenders to unsigned first-round picks; those players become free agents on July 16 if not tendered.

August 31

• Last day for teams to waive players and apply the stretch provision to their 2018/19 salaries.

August 31 – September 15

• FIBA World Cup 2019 in China.

September 5

• Last day for teams to issue required tenders to unsigned second-round picks; those players become free agents on September 6 if not tendered.

Late September (specific dates TBA)

• Training camps open.

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