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Why some newly signed NBA players cannot be traded until December 15 or January 15

By McKinley Malbrough III, J.D., MS-HRM · Certified WNBA player agent · Former certified NBA agent

Published October 26, 2026. Last updated October 26, 2026.

Hoops Rumors keeps running lists of players who cannot be traded until December 15 and until January 15 this season. This post explains who is on them and why, using Article VII, Section 8(d) of the 2023 NBA CBA. Cap mechanics are in the guide to how the NBA salary cap works and the NBA exceptions guide.

Which NBA players cannot be traded until December 15?

Most players who signed new contracts as free agents this offseason, which is 90 players on the Hoops Rumors list as of its October 20 update, per Hoops Rumors. Public examples on the list include Draymond Green of the Warriors, Klay Thompson of the Heat, LeBron James of the 76ers and James Harden of the Cavaliers. The list excludes players with unfinalized contracts and training camp contracts, per the same post.

The CBA rule is that a player who signs a Standard NBA Contract as a Free Agent cannot be traded before the later of three months after signing or December 15 of that salary cap year, per Section 8(d)(ii). A player who signs in July, August or the first half of September lands on December 15, because three months from then is earlier, per Hoops Rumors.

Why is there a different date for some players?

Because a narrower rule adds a month. A player cannot be traded before the later of three months after signing or January 15 if he meets every one of these conditions, per Section 8(d)(iii):

• He re-signed with his prior team as a Qualifying Veteran Free Agent or Early Qualifying Veteran Free Agent.
• The team's salary was above the cap immediately after the signing.
• His first-season salary is more than 120 percent of his last-season salary.
• His new contract is not for the minimum salary with no bonuses of any kind.

Hoops Rumors lists 13 players for January 15, including Austin Reaves of the Lakers, Jalen Duren of the Pistons and Coby White of the Hornets, per its January 15 list. It describes the same conditions in terms of Bird and Early Bird rights.

What kinds of contracts does the trade restriction apply to?

A Standard NBA Contract signed as a Free Agent, or signed by a player who was on a two-way contract, per Section 8(d)(ii). A two-way contract converted to a standard one counts as a free agent signing on the date of conversion, per the same section. Draft rookies who sign a Standard NBA Contract and players who sign a two-way contract cannot be traded for 30 days after signing, per Section 8(d)(i).

A contract signed as part of an agreed sign-and-trade is exempt from the rule for its first trade and subject to it for a second trade, per Section 8(d)(ii). Section 8(d) does not cover extensions or players acquired by trade, which other parts of Section 8 address, including the six-month limits in Section 8(f). How two-way and Exhibit 10 deals are used around the roster deadline is covered in the roster deadline post.

How does the trade restriction affect trade deadlines and cap planning?

The deadline is the hard end of the window. This season's trade deadline is February 11 at 2 p.m. Central, per Hoops Rumors. A player who signs on or after November 12 cannot be traded during 2026-27, because three months from then runs past February 11, per the September 15 Hoops Rumors post. That is the author's arithmetic from the rule and the deadline date.

A team also cannot trade a player after the deadline in the last season of his contract, or in any season that could be his last given an option or an early termination option, per Section 8(c). For a team planning around the cap, the dates mean a newly signed free agent is not trade matching salary until mid-December at the earliest.

What should players and agents negotiate around the trade restriction?

The two items the rule turns on are the date of signing and the size of the raise. A re-signing on a raise of 120 percent or less, or at the minimum salary with no bonuses of any kind, falls outside the January 15 rule but is still subject to December 15, per Section 8(d)(iii). Guarantee dates matter alongside it, and they are covered in the guide to guaranteed and non-guaranteed contracts.

This post is educational and is not advice on a specific contract. A player facing a trade restriction should ask the agent or the team for the exact eligibility date, since the rule depends on contract terms and the signing date.