2025 NBA Offseason Preview: Phoenix Suns
2025/05/2025-nba-offseason-preview-phoenix-suns.htmlWe look ahead to the Suns' 2025 offseason, examining their roster and cap situation entering the summer.
Hoops Rumors Glossary: Cap Holds
2025/05/hoops-rumors-glossary-cap-holds-9.htmlThe general purpose of a cap hold is to prevent teams from using room under the cap to sign free agents before using Bird rights to re-sign their own free agents. … Each of Houston's own free agents will be assigned a free agent amount - or "cap hold" - until the player signs a new contract or the Rockets renounce his rights.
2025 NBA Offseason Preview: Brooklyn Nets
2025/05/2025-nba-offseason-preview-brooklyn-nets.htmlWilliams' qualifying offer ($8.35MM) and cap hold ($18.4MM) are quite a bit higher than Thomas' and Sharpe's, so I consider him the least likely candidate to get a QO, but Brooklyn may still want to retain him -- if so, the team would either need to hang onto his Bird rights or set aside a piece of cap space (or the room exception) for his next deal. … The Nets paid a significant price to negate the Rockets' swap rights for their 2025 first-rounder and to reacquire their own 2026 pick, giving up control of four future Suns first-rounders (either outright or via swaps), including one that landed in the '25 lottery.
2025 NBA Offseason Preview: Portland Trail Blazers
2025/05/2025-nba-offseason-preview-portland-trail-blazers.htmlWe look ahead to the Trail Blazers' 2025 offseason, examining their roster and cap situation entering the summer.
2025 NBA Offseason Preview: Toronto Raptors
2025/05/2025-nba-offseason-preview-toronto-raptors.htmlWe look ahead to the Raptors' 2025 offseason, examining their roster and cap situation entering the summer.
Rockets, VanVleet Push Back Team Option Deadline
2025/05/rockets-vanvleet-discuss-delay-for-contract-option-decision.htmlIf Houston declines the option, VanVleet would be an unrestricted free agent but the Rockets would hold his Early Bird rights.
Pistons, Malik Beasley Have Mutual Interest In New Deal
2025/05/pistons-malik-beasley-have-mutual-interest-in-new-deal.htmlThe Pistons got a bargain when they signed Beasley to a one-year, $6MM deal a year ago, but that will limit their ability to make him a competitive offer using his Non-Bird rights -- they'll only be able to go up to a starting salary of $7.2MM using the Non-Bird exception. … On that note, the Pistons also have interest in re-signing Schröder, according to Scotto, who says multiple members of the…
2025 NBA Offseason Preview: Philadelphia 76ers
2025/05/2025-nba-offseason-preview-philadelphia-76ers.htmlThe 76ers hold Grimes' Bird rights and face no restrictions in terms of how much money they could offer him. … Kelly Oubre ($8,382,150): Early Bird rights
2025 NBA Offseason Preview: San Antonio Spurs
2025/05/2025-nba-offseason-preview-san-antonio-spurs.htmlWe look ahead to the Spurs' 2025 offseason, examining their roster and cap situation entering the summer.
Pistons Notes: Cunningham, Bickerstaff, Gores, Beasley
2025/05/pistons-notes-cunningham-bickerstaff-gores-beasley.htmlThe 28-year-old shooting guard came to Detroit on a one-year, $6MM contract last summer, and the Pistons only hold his Non-Bird rights.
2025 NBA Offseason Preview: Charlotte Hornets
2025/05/2025-nba-offseason-preview-charlotte-hornets.htmlWe look ahead to the Hornets' 2025 offseason, examining their roster and cap situation entering the summer.
2025 NBA Offseason Preview: New Orleans Pelicans
2025/05/2025-nba-offseason-preview-new-orleans-pelicans.htmlWe look ahead to the Pelicans' 2025 offseason, examining their roster and cap situation entering the summer.
NBA Team Option Decisions For 2025/26
2025/04/nba-team-option-decisions-for-2025-26.htmlHowever, team options can be useful at the end of a contract, since turning down that option allows the team to retain some form of Bird rights on the player -- waiving a player with a non-guaranteed salary doesn't present that same opportunity.
2025 NBA Offseason Preview: Utah Jazz
2025/05/2025-nba-offseason-preview-utah-jazz.htmlWe look ahead to the Jazz's 2025 offseason, examining their roster and cap situation entering the summer.
2025 NBA Offseason Preview: Washington Wizards
2025/05/2025-nba-offseason-preview-washington-wizards.htmlWe look ahead to the Wizards' 2025 offseason, examining their roster and cap situation entering the summer.
Sixers Notes: Oubre, Nurse, Yabusele
2025/04/sixers-notes-oubre-nurse-yabusele.htmlAn unrestricted free agent this summer, Yabusele is only eligible for a 20% raise on his $2.1MM minimum salary, since he only has Non-Bird rights.
One 2025 Free Agent To Watch From Each NBA Playoff Team
2025/04/one-2025-free-agent-to-watch-from-each-nba-playoff-team.htmlThat won't stop the Pacers from re-signing him -- they hold his Bird rights and can go all the way up to his maximum if they need to.
Pelicans Re-Sign Kylor Kelley
2025/04/pelicans-re-sign-kylor-kelley.htmlAs of Monday, the 27-year-old big man will once again be a free agent, with New Orleans not holding any form of Bird rights on him entering the offseason.
Sixers Re-Sign Marcus Bagley
2025/04/sixers-re-sign-marcus-bagley.htmlThe 76ers won't hold any form of Bird rights on Bagley after the regular season ends, and he'll become a…
Nuggets’ Malone, Teammates Stand By Westbrook After Costly Late-Game Sequence
2025/04/nuggets-malone-teammates-stand-by-westbrook-after-costly-late-game-sequence.htmlIf he turns down that option, he'd become an unrestricted free agent and the Nuggets would hold his Non-Bird rights.
Hoops Rumors Glossary: Non-Bird Rights
2025/04/hoops-rumors-glossary-non-bird-rights-8.htmlPlayers and teams have to meet certain criteria to earn Bird rights and Early Bird rights, but Non-Bird rights are practically a given. … Even a player who signs a rest-of-season contract right before the regular season finale and spends just a single day with his club would have Non-Bird rights in the offseason.
Checking In On Starter Criteria, Traded Draft Picks, Mavs’ Two-Ways, More
2025/03/checking-in-on-starter-criteria-traded-draft-picks-mavs-two-ways-more.htmlBut would sacrificing Exum's Early Bird rights be worth it in order to get Edwards or Williams on the roster for what might only be one regular season game and one play-in game? I'm not sure there's an easy answer to that question -- it might come down to whether Dallas can get Edwards and Williams to agree to team-friendly multiyear deals.
Hoops Rumors Glossary: Early Bird Rights
2025/03/hoops-rumors-glossary-early-bird-rights-8.htmlBird rights offer teams the chance to sign their own free agents without regard to the salary cap, but they don't apply to every player. … Other salary cap exceptions are available for teams to keep players who don’t qualify for Bird rights.
Hoops Rumors Glossary: Bird Rights
2025/03/hoops-rumors-glossary-bird-rights-7.htmlThe most basic way for a player to earn Bird rights is to play for the same team for at least three seasons, either on a long-term deal or on separate one- or two-year contracts. … For instance, the Hawks will hold Caris LeVert's Bird rights when he reaches free agency this offseason, despite just acquiring him in February.
And-Ones: Rebuilding Teams, Free Agency, Flagg, NBL
2025/03/and-ones-rebuilding-teams-free-agency-flagg-nbl.htmlMany of those clubs will be limited in what they can offer their free agents, either due to a lack of full Bird rights or tax/apron concerns.