NBA CALENDAR 2025-2026
2025
January 7: Last day to waive non-guaranteed NBA contracts (including two-way 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 offseason signees become eligible for inclusion in trades
- Also the last day to apply for a disabled player exception.
February 1: Former 1st round picks who were stashed overseas may sign rookie scale NBA contracts for the 2025-26 season
February 6: NBA Trade Deadline (3pm ET)
February 7: The value of teams’ unused mid-level exceptions and bi-annual exceptions begins to prorate downward by 1/174th per day
February 14-16: NBA All-Star Weekend 2025 (San Francisco)
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 4: Last day for a team to sign a player to a two-way contract
March 10: Last day for a team to use a disabled player exception
March 29: NBA G League regular season ends
April 1: NBA G League playoffs begin
April 10: Last day to waive a player on an expiring contract or a player with an option for 2025-26 (5pm ET)
April 13:
- Last day of the NBA regular season
- Last day players can sign contracts for 2024-25
- Last day two-way contracts can be converted to standard NBA contracts
- Luxury tax penalties calculated based on payroll as of this day
April 14: Playoff rosters set (3pm ET)
April 15-18: NBA Play-In Tournament
April 19: NBA Playoffs Begin
April 26: Deadline for early entrants to declare for the NBA draft (10:59 pm CT).
May 9-11: NBA G League combine
May 12: NBA draft lottery
May 11-18: NBA draft combine
May 28: Last day for early entrants to withdraw from the NBA draft and retain their NCAA eligibility (10:59 pm CT)
June 5: NBA Finals begin
June 15: Deadline for all early entrants (including international players) to withdraw from the NBA draft (4:00 pm CT)
June 22: Latest possible end date for NBA Finals
First day after NBA Finals: Teams can begin negotiating with their own free agents
June 25: Day one of NBA draft (first round)
June 26: Day two of NBA draft (second round)
June 29
- Last day for decisions on player, team, and early termination options
- Note: Certain contracts will require earlier decisions
- Last day for teams to make qualifying offers to players eligible for restricted free agency
June 30
- Last official day of the 2024/25 NBA league year
- Last day for players eligible for veteran extensions in 2024/25 to sign them
- Teams can begin negotiating with free agents from other clubs (5:00 pm CT)
July 1
- Official start of the 2025/26 NBA league year
- Moratorium period begins
- Restricted free agents can sign an offer sheet
- Teams can begin signing players to one- or two-year minimum-salary contracts
- Teams can begin signing players to two-way contracts
- Teams can begin signing first-round picks to rookie scale contracts
- Teams can begin signing second-round picks using the second-round pick exception
- Teams can begin exercising the third- or fourth-year team options for 2026/27 on rookie scale contracts
July 5-8: Salt Lake City Summer League
July 6
- Moratorium period ends (11:01 am CT)
- Teams can begin officially signing players, extending players, and completing trades (11:01 am CT)
- The 24-hour period for matching an RFA offer sheet signed during the moratorium begins (11:01 am CT)
July 6-9: California Classic Summer League
July 10-20: Las Vegas Summer League
July 13: Last day for teams to unilaterally withdraw qualifying offers to restricted free agents
July 31: Players signed using the second-round pick exception begin to count against a team’s cap.
August 5: Last day for teams to issue required tenders to unsigned second-round picks.
August 29: Last day for teams to waive players and apply the stretch provision to their 2025/26 salaries.
Salt Lake City Summer League
Moratorium period ends
California Classic Summer League
Salt Lake City Summer League
California Classic Summer League
Salt Lake City Summer League
California Classic Summer League
Salt Lake City Summer League
California Classic Summer League
Las Vegas Summer League
Last day for teams to unilaterally withdraw qualifying offers to restricted free agents
Players signed with 2nd round pick exception begin to count against a team’s cap
Players signed using the second-round pick exception begin to count against a team’s cap
Legend:
Awards Miscellaneous NBA Draft Playoffs Preseason Rosters