With the 2019/20 NBA season underway, our calendar of important 2019 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 26
- NBA G League draft.
October 28
- NBA G League training camps open.
October 31
- Deadline for teams to exercise rookie scale options for 2020/21.
November 8
- NBA G League season begins.
December 1
- Priority order for waiver claims is now based on 2019/20 record, rather than 2018/19 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 2020/21 season.
February 6
- Trade deadline (2:00pm CT).
February 14-16
- All-Star Weekend in Chicago.
February 29
- 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 10
- Last day to use a disabled player exception.
March 28
- NBA G League regular season ends.
April 15
- Last day of the regular season.
- Last day players can sign contracts for 2019/20.
- Last day two-way contracts can be converted to standard NBA contracts.
- Luxury tax penalties calculated based on payroll as of this day.
April 17
- Playoff rosters set (2:00pm CT).
April 18
- Playoffs begin.
Larry Coon’s Salary Cap FAQ and NBA.com were used in the creation of this post.