OK, can those who are knowledgeable fill in the blanks for the key dates that will affect when we will be able to move players around? - Top 3 lottery ping pong balls selected - Charlotte expansion draft - NBA draft - beginning of FA signing - when our TE expires - end of Stevie's BYC Are there any other important dates we need to keep in mind while we prognosticate?
Steve's BYC expires June 30th. FA signing moratorium July 1 -13. FA signings July 14. Rice TE expires September 30.
June 3-6 - Pre-draft camp, Chicago June 26 - NBA draft. July 1 - Teams may start negotiating with free agents. July 16 - Teams may begin signing player contracts
May 10 NBA Early Entry eligibility deadline, 11:59 p.m. ET May 20 Latest possible end date for Conference Semifinals May 21 NBA Western Conference Finals (possible move-up to May 19) May 22 NBA Eastern Conference Finals (possible move-up to May 20) May 26 NBA Draft Lottery June 3 Latest possible end date for Conference Finals June 6 NBA Finals start date (possible move-up to June 4) June 8-11 NBA Pre-Draft Camp (Moody Bible Institute; Chicago) June 17 NBA Draft Early Entry Entrant Withdrawal Deadline June 20 NBA Finals latest possible end date June 22 or 23 Charlotte Bobcats Expansion Draft June 24 NBA Draft (Theatre at Madison Square Garden, New York) July 1 Teams may begin negotiating, but not sign, free agents July 14 Teams may begin signing player contracts Aug. 13-29 2004 Summer Olympic Games (Athens, Greece) Oct. 17-19 NBA China Games 2004 – Sacramento vs. Houston (Beijing, China)
OK, in summary: MAY 26: NBA Draft Lottery JUN 22: Charlotte Expansion Draft JUN 24: NBA Draft JUN 30: Stevie's BYC expires JUL 01: FA negotiations JUL 14: FA signings SEP 30: TE Expires OCT 17: NBA China Games w/Rockets
Is there a date in June when teams can start trading players who are under contract for next season, and/or picks? Is it before the expansion draft? The rookie draft?
2003-04 contracts expire on June 30 which is why Steve's BYC status expires on June 30. For those that have them, 2004-05 contracts do not kick in until July 1. Trading and FA signings have lagged by as much as 3 weeks but the league has recently shortened the moratorium to 2 weeks. That's why FA signings and player trades will be performed from July 14 onward. I don't know if you'll remember the specifics, but a few years ago, MEM & ATL swapped Gasol and SAR on draft day. The deal could not become official until SAR had a new contract. The new contract became official in July and the deal was completed. It was only a binding agreement prior to SAR's next contract.
The Basketball tournament in the ATHENS 2004 Olympic Games will last 15 days – from 14 to 28 August. This is a direct quote from the official website. This should give Yao Ming a little time to rest and get him into camp on time this summer unlike last summer.
But isn't there a trade window in June, for players that are under contract for the next season (with no opt outs or non-guaranteed contracts, a la the Brad Miller Chicago contract a few years ago, etc.)? For example: June 27, 2003 - The Bucks traded Sam Cassell and Ervin Johnson to the Timberwolves for Anthony Peeler and Joe Smith. June 26, 2002 - Denver trades F Antonio McDyess, draft rights to G Frank Williams and a 2003 second-round pick to New York for C Marcus Camby, G Mark Jackson and draft rights to F Nene Hilario. June 26, 2002 - Cleveland trades G Wesley Person to Memphis for G Nick Anderson and draft rights to F Matt Barnes. June 26, 2002 - L.A. Lakers trade G Lindsey Hunter and draft rights to F Chris Jefferies to Toronto for F Tracy Murray and draft rights to G Kareem Rush. June 26, 2002 - Philadelphia trades G Speedy Claxton to San Antonio for F Mark Bryant and draft rights to G/F John Salmons and F Randy Holcomb. June 25, 2002 - Washington trades G Courtney Alexander to New Orleans for a first-round draft pick in NBA Draft 2002 (G Juan Dixon).
I have never heard of a "window" and the CBA is very specific on the dates when the next seasons' salaries begin and when FA's may be signed. The dates you have listed appear to be taken from the player profiles in nba.com. Observe that the CBA specificially states that the February trade deadline is the 16th Thursday of each season. The NBA 2001-02 season began on Oct. 30, 2001 making Thursday Nov. 1, 2001 the 1st Thursday of the season. If you count 16 Thursdays, the 2001-02 trade deadline was Feb 14th, 2002. Yet nba.com lists Brad Miller as being traded on Feb 19, 2002. 5 days after the deadline and clearly not possible. If I were to trust the dates in nba.com vs the CBA, my vote goes to the CBA. EDIT: SI.com has the Cassell trade in June as well. I know these can't become official until mid-July so I guess there can be talks and agreements with nothing official until the CBA allows it.
We can do a little better than that. Base Year Contract: Roughly, when a player gets a big raise going from one contract to the next, he has a special trade value his first 2 seasons. He is not worth as much salary in trade, but still counts his full amount on a team's salary cap. It's complicated but the net effect is that BYC players are hard to trade until that status is gone, requiring either a team with cap room to accept of facilitate the trade, or else a big trade exception to absorb the extra money. Though we didn't want to trade him, Francis would have been hard to trade last summer or the year before because of his BYC status. Trade Exception: The Rockets have one for $6+ million from trading Glen Rice for little in return. Basically, a team over the salary cap can shed salary by sending their players to a team under the cap (or to a team with a trade exception). In return for giving up more salary, an over the cap team will receive an exception (for the amount of the trade discrepancy) that will allow them to take back extra salary in some future trade to make up for the salary they lost in the original one. But, the exception expires in a year, and there seem to be some arcane rules about what trades you can use it for. But, the Rockets have an opportunity this summer to use the Exception to get a high-salary player for a low-salary one -- a very valuable thing for a potential trading partner because it allows them to reduce payroll and gives them their own TE to use or not use for a year. I would also note that the Rockets may want to let it expire to not pick up more salary, but even so it should make trades of roughly equal value easier because you don't have to match salaries as exactly.
I remember specifically the McDyess deal being announced on draft day, and the reaction from the NY fans. Are you saying it was not effective until July 15th?
Yes, that is exactly what I am saying. Draft day trades are not legally completed until mid-July. The Gasol for SAR trade is a perfect example. Both MEM and ATL had to wait until Abdur-Rahim had a contract for the next season. On draft day, teams can agree to trade but the actual trade does not legally happen until mid-July. Observe that nba.com has the Gasol-SAR trade dated at 07.19.2001. EDIT: OK, nba.com has the McDyess deal dated June 26...I don't know what's up with the dates but the trade is not official until a players' contract takes effect for the coming season...July 1st.
How can we have a list of key NBA dates and not include Michale Jordan's birthday, the day he first walked, the day he got his first bike, the day... God, I'm glad he's gone and I don;t have to listen to endless drivle about how wonderful he is.
