Players Who Can’t Be Traded Until January 15th
Today is the day that most general managers in the NBA have been waiting for. December 15th is when most free agents signed over the summer become eligible to be traded, enabling teams dissatisfied with their offseasons to start making adjustments. This applies to players who re-signed with their teams, as well as restricted free agents who inked offer sheets with another team but had the offer sheets matched by their original team.
A few of the players signed this offseason have to wait a little bit longer. Anyone who signed after September 15th still isn't allowed to be traded, since it hasn't yet been three months after they signed. That includes training camp invitees who made their teams, like Rasheed Wallace and DeQuan Jones, and early season pickups, such as Josh Howard and Shaun Livingston. Players signed after November 21st this season can't be traded at all, since their three-month waiting period expires after the February 21st trade deadline.
There's another group that will become available to be traded January 15th. If a team that's over the cap re-signs a player using Bird rights or Early Bird rights and gives him a raise of better than 20%, and the player had been making more than the minimum salary, the team can't trade that player until January 15th or three months after the signing, whichever is later.
With an assist from Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter links) and the ESPN.com Trade Machine, here's a list of players who will become eligible to be traded January 15th:
- Darrell Arthur, Grizzlies
- Nicolas Batum, Blazers
- Brandon Bass, Celtics
- Chauncey Billups, Clippers
- Jeremy Evans, Jazz
- Eric Gordon, Hornets
- Danny Green, Spurs
- Jeff Green, Celtics
- Roy Hibbert, Pacers
- George Hill, Pacers
- Jordan Hill, Lakers
- Kris Humphries, Nets
- Ersan Ilyasova, Bucks
- Brook Lopez, Nets
- JaVale McGee, Nuggets
- Brandon Rush, Warriors
- Marreese Speights, Grizzlies
- Jason Thompson, Kings
Here's a list of training camp invitees and early season signees who'll be eligible to be traded later on this season, along with the earliest date they can be included in trades.
- Ben Hansbrough, Pacers, December 17th
- Josh Harrellson, Heat, December 17th
- Earl Barron, Wizards, December 19th
- Louis Amundson, Timberwolves, December 24th
- Anthony Tolliver, Hawks, December 25th
- Damien Wilkins, Sixers, December 27th
- Diante Garrett, Suns, December 28th
- Luke Zeller, Suns, December 28th
- DeQuan Jones, Magic, December 29th
- Rasheed Wallace, Knicks, January 3rd
- Leandro Barbosa, Celtics, January 18th
- Daniel Orton, Thunder, January 31st
- Josh Howard, Timberwolves, February 15th
- Shaun Livingston, Wizards, February 15th
A few notes:
- Spears lists Lavoy Allen and Steve Novak as being ineligible to be traded until January 15th, but I think those guys are eligible to be traded as of today, because they made the minimum salary last season.
- Chauncey Billups isn't on Spears' list, but he's included on the ESPN Trade Machine list, and I think ESPN is right, unless there's a rule I don't know about regarding players who were amnestied, as Billups was before the 2011/12 season.
- Earlier, I thought Ryan Anderson wouldn't be eligible to be traded until January 15th, since the Magic, who technically signed him as part of the sign-and-trade that sent him to the Hornets, were over the cap. However, Grantland's Zach Lowe confirmed that he's eligible as of today, because the Hornets were under the cap when the deal went down.
Larry Coon's NBA Salary Cap FAQ was used in the creation of this post.
Important NBA In-Season Dates
Back in May, we looked ahead to the noteworthy dates on the NBA calendar that were coming up over the summer. Now that the 2012/13 regular season is in full swing, there's a new set of in-season dates worth keeping an eye on. Here's a breakdown:
December
- 15: Most players that signed new contracts this offseason (on or before September 15th) can be traded.
January
- 7: Teams can begin signing players to 10-day contracts.
- 10: Players on non-guaranteed contracts have their contracts guaranteed for the remainder of the season. Players must clear waivers by this date to avoid having their deals guaranteed.
- 15: Players with Bird or Early Bird rights that re-signed with their own over-the-cap team (on or before October 15th) and received at least at 20% raise can be traded. For instance, Brook Lopez would be eligible to be dealt as of January 15th, rather than December 15th.
- 15: Last day teams can apply for disabled player exceptions.
February
- 21: Trade deadline.
March
- 1: Players released after this date are ineligible for the postseason if they sign with a new team.
- 10: Disabled player exceptions expire.
April
- 17: Last day of regular season. Last day players can sign contracts for 2012/13. Luxury tax figures are determined using team salary on this day.
Larry Coon's CBA FAQ was used in the creation of this post.
Hoops Rumors On Facebook/Twitter/RSS
With the regular season underway, there are a number of different ways you can follow Hoops Rumors to keep tabs on the latest NBA news and rumors throughout the year.
You can Like us on Facebook, and receive headlines and links for all our posts via your Facebook account. You can also follow us on Twitter to have all our posts and updates sent directly to your Twitter feed. And our RSS feed is located here, if you'd like to follow us using your RSS reader of choice.
If you prefer to receive updates only on roster moves such as signings, cuts, and trades, you can follow our transactions-only feeds via RSS and Twitter.
Team Facebook/Twitter/RSS
If you want to keep tabs on all of Hoops Rumors' stories and updates, you can follow us on Twitter, like us on Facebook, or subscribe to our feed through your RSS reader of choice. However, if you prefer to only receive news about your favorite NBA team, we have you covered. Below are links to our Facebook, Twitter, and RSS pages and feeds for all 30 teams.
Atlantic
- 76ers: Facebook / Twitter / RSS
- Celtics: Facebook / Twitter / RSS
- Knicks: Facebook / Twitter / RSS
- Nets: Facebook / Twitter / RSS
- Raptors: Facebook / Twitter / RSS
Central
- Bucks: Facebook / Twitter / RSS
- Bulls: Facebook / Twitter / RSS
- Cavaliers: Facebook / Twitter / RSS
- Pacers: Facebook / Twitter / RSS
- Pistons: Facebook / Twitter / RSS
Southeast
- Bobcats: Facebook / Twitter / RSS
- Hawks: Facebook / Twitter / RSS
- Heat: Facebook / Twitter / RSS
- Magic: Facebook / Twitter / RSS
- Wizards: Facebook / Twitter / RSS
Southwest
- Grizzlies: Facebook / Twitter / RSS
- Hornets: Facebook / Twitter / RSS
- Mavericks: Facebook / Twitter / RSS
- Rockets: Facebook / Twitter / RSS
- Spurs: Facebook / Twitter / RSS
Northwest
- Jazz: Facebook / Twitter / RSS
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- Thunder: Facebook / Twitter / RSS
- Timberwolves: Facebook / Twitter / RSS
- Trail Blazers: Facebook / Twitter / RSS
Pacific
NBA Training Camp Cuts On D-League Rosters
Dozens of players were let go at the end of NBA training camps last month, and while some of them have signed overseas, many resurfaced Friday on D-League opening-night rosters. In fact, for a few, that seemed to be the plan all along. The Spurs, Timberwolves and Celtics quietly signed players toward the end of the preseason with the purpose of gaining their "affiliate rights," or the right to protect them from the D-League draft. Teams can protect as many as three training camp cuts for their affiliates, though the Cavs and Warriors managed to wind up with four former training camp invitees on their respective D-League teams.
Note that the players below are no longer on NBA rosters, unlike guys who've simply been assigned to the D-League. Some of the players listed were with multiple NBA teams in camp this fall, but we'll go with their latest NBA team here. If you notice any omissions, please let us know.
Spurs
- *JaMychal Green, Austin Toros
- Tyler Wilkerson, Austin Toros
- Wesley Witherspoon, Austin Toros
Grizzlies
- Kyle Weaver, Austin Toros
- D.J. Kennedy, Erie BayHawks
- Jarrid Famous, Los Angeles D-Fenders
Jazz
- Brian Butch, Bakersfield Jam
- Darnell Jackson, Reno Bighorns
Nets
- Stephen Dennis, Bakersfield Jam
- James Mays, Springfield Armor
- Carleton Scott, Springfield Armor
Hawks
- Keith Benson, Erie BayHawks
- Damion James, Bakersfield Jam
- Isma'il Muhammad, Bakersfield Jam
Raptors
- Jerel McNeal, Bakersfield Jam
Cavaliers
- Kevin Anderson, Canton Charge
- D'Aundray Brown, Canton Charge
- Micheal Eric, Canton Charge
- Kevin Jones, Canton Charge
Knicks
- Oscar Bellfield, Erie BayHawks
- Henry Sims, Erie BayHawks
- Mychel Thompson, Erie BayHawks
Trail Blazers
- Demonte Harper, Eric BayHawks
Rockets
- JaJuan Johnson, Fort Wayne Mad Ants
- Kyle Fogg, Rio Grande Valley Vipers
- Demetri McCamey, Rio Grande Valley Vipers
Thunder
- Walker Russell, Fort Wayne Mad Ants
- Andy Rautins, Tulsa 66ers
- Hollis Thompson, Tulsa 66ers
Magic
- Justin Harper, Idaho Stampede
- Chris Johnson, Rio Grande Valley Vipers
Blazers
- Justin Holiday, Idaho Stampede
- Coby Karl, Idaho Stampede
- Dallas Lauderdale, Idaho Stampede
Timberwolves
- Seth Tarver, Idaho Stampede
- Phil Jones, Los Angeles D-Fenders
- *Troy Hudson, Sioux Falls Skyforce
- *Demetris Nichols, Sioux Falls Skyforce
Bucks
- Mustapha Farrakhan, Iowa Energy
- Orien Greene, Los Angeles D-Fenders
Hornets
- Dominique Morrison, Iowa Energy
- Chris Wright, Iowa Energy
Clippers
- Courtney Fortson, Los Angeles D-Fenders
- Travis Leslie, Santa Cruz Warriors
Wizards
- Shelvin Mack, Maine Red Claws
Sixers
- Xavier Silas, Maine Red Claws
Celtics
- Micah Downs, Maine Red Claws
- *Brian Cusworth, Maine Red Claws
Raptors
- Chris Wright, Maine Red Claws
Heat
- Garrett Temple, Reno Bighorns
- Jarvis Varnado, Sioux Falls Skyforce
Bobcats
- Jeff Adrien, Rio Grande Valley Vipers
Warriors
- Carlon Brown, Santa Cruz Warriors
- Lance Goulbourne, Santa Cruz Warriors
- Stefhon Hannah, Santa Cruz Warriors
- Rick Jackson, Santa Cruz Warriors
Lakers
- Andrew Goudelock, Sioux Falls Skyforce
Kings
- Willie Reed, Springfield Armor
Nuggets
- Ben Uzoh, Springfield Armor
Magic
- Christian Eyenga, Texas Legends
Mavericks
- Chris Douglas-Roberts, Texas Legends
- Melvin Ely, Texas Legends
*-signed so the NBA team could retain his affiliate rights
Most Productive Offseason Acquisitions By PER
2012/13's first iteration of John Hollinger's stat-based power rankings has been unveiled at ESPN.com, with the Grizzlies, Knicks, Thunder, Heat, and Clippers making up the top five. Now that the NBA regular season is nearly a month old, there's enough data related to scoring margin, strength of schedule, and home-road difference for Hollinger's formula to produce a reasonably accurate list.
By the same token, after four weeks of games, it's worth taking a look at another one of Hollinger's creations, Player Efficiency Rating. While the sample size is still small, the fact that LeBron James and Kevin Durant are first and second in the league in PER suggests the numbers are starting to reflect what we can expect to see for the rest of the season.
PER doesn't necessarily capture a player's all-around contribution to a team, but it comes about as close as a single statistic can. As such, let's use this season's PER leaders to check out which offseason acquisitions have been the most effective so far. These players changed teams via trades or free agency since the end of last season and have appeared in at least half of their new clubs' games so far. Here's the top 15:
Kyle Lowry (Raptors): 24.6
Carl Landry (Warriors): 22.7
Goran Dragic (Suns): 22.3
James Harden (Rockets): 21.5
Jason Kidd (Knicks): 21.3
Dwight Howard (Lakers): 21.0
Ryan Anderson (Hornets): 21.0
Andray Blatche (Nets): 20.7
Jermaine O'Neal (Suns): 20.7
Louis Williams (Hawks): 20.2
O.J. Mayo (Mavericks): 20.0
Jamal Crawford (Clippers): 19.6
Ray Allen (Heat): 19.5
Rasheed Wallace (Knicks): 19.3
Andrei Kirilenko (Timberwolves): 19.1
A few notes on the list:
- Some players who re-signed as free agents with their previous teams, such as Brook Lopez (Nets) and JaVale McGee (Nuggets) are also among the league leaders on PER. They weren't listed here since they didn't change teams.
- A trio of big men who were virtually written off, Blatche, O'Neal, and Wallace made the top 15, but have played limited minutes. They're averaging 16.2, 18.8, and 15.8 minutes per contest, respectively.
- Blatche, O'Neal, and Wallace are also among the best values on the list, as all of them signed for the veteran's minimum. Other bargains so far: Landry ($4MM), Mayo ($4MM), Kidd ($3.1MM), and Allen ($3.1MM).
- Lowry and O'Neal have each appeared in only eight games so far.
Atlantic Notes: Bynum, Lin, Bargnani, Celtics
The latest update on Andrew Bynum sounds particularly ominous, but does that mean the 76ers made a mistake in acquiring him? Not according to several GMs that spoke Ric Bucher of 95.7 The Game (Sulia link). Bucher says the consensus is that Bynum still has the ability to be the best big man in the East and that if this season is lost, it may open the door for the Sixers to lock him up at a potential discount.
Here are a few more pre-Thanksgiving items from around the Atlantic Division:
- In a piece on Jeremy Lin, Ian O'Connor of ESPNNewYork.com describes how Mike Woodson's assertion that the Knicks would match the Rockets' offer sheet to Lin inspired Houston to re-work its offer.
- Without knowing what the Raptors could get for Andrea Bargnani, it's impossible to say whether the club should trade him, writes Eric Koreen of the National Post. However, Koreen adds that it's time to stop valuing Bargnani based on his potential.
- Celtics head coach Doc Rivers told Chris Russo on Sirius XM's Mad Dog Radio that he didn't like how the Lakers treated Phil Jackson during the team's coaching search (link via ESPNBoston.com).
- Rivers also said on WEEI that he doesn't think either of the team's current D-League assignees (Fab Melo or Kris Joseph) would be recalled if Darko Milicic leaves the Celtics. Steven Cuce of Sports Radio Interviews has the details.
Hoops Rumors Features
Hoops Rumors passes along the latest news and rumors on NBA player movement 365 days a year, but those aren't the only updates you'll see on the site. On our right sidebar, you'll find a number of additional features and featured posts. Here's a rundown of a few of them:
- Our Free Agent Tracker gives you the opportunity to look back on this summer's free agent signings, with data sortable by team, position, contract years, and contract amount. For a quick look at which players remain unsigned, you can check out our list of 2012/13 free agents.
- We also have free agent lists for both next summer, and the summer of 2014, which will continue to be modified as needed.
- Throughout the season, we'll be keeping tabs on roster counts for each NBA team, the year's D-League assignments and recalls, and all the trades consummated in-season.
- Using our 10-day contract tracker, you can find any 10-day contract signed since 2007, sorting by player, team, year, and other variables.
- Our offseason in review series continues to gain new installments, as we look back on the moves made by each of the NBA's 30 teams over the summer.
- On Thursdays at 4:00pm CT, I answer readers' questions in a live chat. Due to the Thanksgiving holiday, there won't be a chat this week, but you can check out transcripts of our past live discussions here.
- Our list of outstanding traded player exceptions is updated whenever a trade exception is used or expires.
- We're also tracking teams' amnesty provisions — using our complete list, you can check to see which clubs have used the amnesty clause and which will carry it into next summer.
- The Hoops Rumors glossary helps explain some of the more complex concepts in the NBA's Collective Bargaining Agreement.
- Zach Links rounds up the best of the blogosphere every Saturday in his weekly Hoops Links feature.
- If you're looking to catch up on a few days worth of content, our Week in Review posts round up the week's news and rumors, while our Hoops Rumors Originals posts recap the site's original content for the week. Both round-ups are published every Sunday.
- Be sure to check out the Featured Posts section on the right sidebar for more original pieces from the Hoops Rumors writing team. Recently, we examined the money teams spent on rookie scale extensions, submitted our predictions for the 2012/13 season, and listed the longest-tenured GMs in the NBA.
Where 2012 Second Rounders Are Playing
Unlike last year, when No. 5 overall pick Jonas Valanciunas remained in Lithuania, all 30 first-round picks from the 2012 draft are in the NBA this season. Only 20 of the 30 second-round picks from this June have NBA contracts. We looked at the status of the second-rounders back in September, when many of them remained unsigned, but now that the season is under way, all 30 are playing pro basketball somewhere, even if it's not in the Association. This list tells you where those players wound up, and also provides contract details for each of the second-rounders with NBA deals.
- Bobcats: Jeff Taylor (SF, Vanderbilt) — Signed for three years, $2.279MM. The third year is not guaranteed.
- Wizards: Tomas Satoransky (SG, Czech Republic) — Remains with Cajasol Banca Civica in Spain, the team he played for before being drafted.
- Mavericks: Bernard James (C, Florida St.) — Signed for two years at the minimum salary. The second year is not guaranteed.
- Mavericks: Jae Crowder (SF, Marquette) — Signed for three years, $2.305MM. The third year is a team option.
- Warriors: Draymond Green (SF, Michigan St.) — Signed for three years, $2.640MM. The third year is partially guaranteed for $250K.
- Pacers: Orlando Johnson (SG, UC Santa Barbara) — Signed for three years, $2.254MM. The third year is not guaranteed.
- Raptors: Quincy Acy (SF, Baylor) — Signed for three years, $2.369MM. The third year is not guaranteed.
- Nuggets: Quincy Miller (SF, Baylor) — Signed for three years at the minimum salary. The second and third years are not guaranteed. Currently assigned to the D-League.
- Pistons: Khris Middleton (SF, Texas A&M) — Signed for three years at the minimum. The third year is not guaranteed.
- Trail Blazers: Will Barton (SG, Memphis) — Signed for three years, $2.254MM. The third year is not guaranteed.
- Nets: Tyshawn Taylor (PG, Kansas) — Signed for two years at the minimum.
- Bucks: Doron Lamb (SG, Kentucky) — Signed for three years, $2.354MM. The third year is not guaranteed.
- Hawks: Mike Scott (PF, Virginia) — Signed for two years at the minimum. The second year is not guaranteed.
- Pistons: Kim English (SG, Missouri) — Signed for two years at the minimum. The second year is not guaranteed.
- Heat: Justin Hamilton (C, LSU) — Signed with Cibona Zagreb in Croatia.
- Hornets: Darius Miller (SF, Kentucky) — Signed for two years at the minimum. The second year is not guaranteed.
- Jazz: Kevin Murphy (SF, Tennessee Tech) — Signed for two years at the minimum. This year is partially guaranteed for $200K and the second year is not guaranteed.
- Knicks: Kostas Papanikolaou (SF, Greece) — Rights traded to the Blazers in July as part of the Raymond Felton sign-and-trade deal. Remains with Olympiacos Piraeus in Greece, the team he played for before being drafted.
- Magic: Kyle O'Quinn (C, Norfolk St.) — Signed for three years, $2.493MM. The second and third years are not guaranteed.
- Nuggets: Izzet Turkyilmaz (C, Turkey) — Remains with Banvit in Turkey, the team he played for before being drafted.
- Celtics: Kris Joseph (SF, Syracuse) — Signed for two years at the minimum. Neither year is guaranteed. Currently assigned to the D-League.
- Warriors: Ognjen Kuzmic (C, Bosnia) — Playing with FIATC Joventut Badalona in Spain, on loan from Unicaja Malaga, another Spanish club.
- Clippers: Furkan Aldemir (PF, Turkey) — Rights traded the day after the draft to the Rockets in the four-team swap that sent Lamar Odom to the Clippers. Remains with Galatasaray Medical Park in Turkey. He signed a four-year deal with Galatasaray last year.
- Nets: Tornike Shengelia (SF, Georgia) — Signed for two years at the minimum.
- Lakers: Darius Johnson-Odom (SF, Marquette) — Signed for one year at the minimum, with no guarantee. Currently assigned to the D-League.
- Raptors: Tomislav Zubcic (SF, Croatia) — Remains with KK Cibona in Croatia. Last year he signed an extension with KK Cibona that runs through 2014.
- Nets: Ilkan Karaman (PF, Turkey) — Signed with Fenerbache Ulker Istanbul in Turkey.
- Timberwolves: Robbie Hummel (SF, Purdue) — Signed with Obradoiro in Spain.
- Spurs: Marcus Denmon (SG, Missouri) — Signed with Elan Chalon in France.
- Lakers: Robert Sacre (C, Gonzaga) — Signed for one year at the minimum, with no guarantee.
Storyteller's Contracts, ShamSports, Sportando and RealGM.com were used in the creation of this post.
Players On Minimum-Salary Contracts
The minimum salary in the NBA is something of a misnomer, since there are actually 11 different minimums based on a player's years of experience. The rookie minimum is $473,604, while the minimum for a veteran of 10 or more seasons is $1,352,181. To offset that disparity and ensure teams don't discriminate against qualified veterans simply based on price, the league compensates teams who sign one-year contracts with veterans who have three or more years experience for the difference between their minimum and the two-year veteran's minimum.
As long as a team hasn't put itself up against a hard cap, it can sign as many minimum-salary players as it wants, up to the 15-man roster maximum. Every team in the NBA has at least one player on a minimum-salary deal, though teams with deeper pockets seem to employ more minimum-salary guys, ironically.
- Hawks: Anthony Tolliver, Mike Scott
- Celtics: Leandro Barbosa, Jason Collins, Darko Milicic, Chris Wilcox, Kris Joseph
- Nets: C.J. Watson, Andray Blatche, Keith Bogans, Josh Childress, Jerry Stackhouse, Tornike Shengalia, Tyshawn Taylor
- Bobcats: Cory Higgins
- Bulls: Nazr Mohammed, Vladimir Radmanovic, Nate Robinson
- Cavaliers: Samardo Samuels, Jon Leuer, Donald Sloan
- Mavericks: Brandan Wright, Troy Murphy, Bernard James
- Nuggets: Julyan Stone, Quincy Miller
- Pistons: Kim English, Khris Middleton
- Warriors: Jeremy Tyler, Charles Jenkins, Kent Bazemore
- Rockets: Greg Smith, Scott Machado
- Pacers: Sam Young
- Clippers: Matt Barnes, Ryan Hollins, Ronny Turiaf, Trey Thompkins
- Lakers: Antawn Jamison, Darius Johnson-Odom, Robert Sacre
- Grizzlies: Josh Selby
- Heat: Rashard Lewis, Dexter Pittman, Terrel Harris, Josh Harrellson
- Bucks: Marquis Daniels, Joel Przybilla
- Timberwolves: Chase Budinger, Louis Amundson, Malcolm Lee, Josh Howard
- Hornets: Roger Mason, Lance Thomas, Darius Miller, Brian Roberts
- Knicks: Kurt Thomas, Ronnie Brewer, Rasheed Wallace, James White, Chris Copeland, Pablo Prigioni
- Thunder: Daniel Orton, DeAndre Liggins
- Magic: E'Twaun Moore, DeQuan Jones
- Sixers: Royal Ivey, Damien Wilkins, Maalik Wayns
- Suns: Jermaine O'Neal, P.J. Tucker, Diante Garrett, Luke Zeller
- Blazers: Ronnie Price
- Kings: Isaiah Thomas
- Spurs: Gary Neal
- Raptors: Dominic McGuire, Alan Anderson
- Jazz: Jamaal Tinsley, DeMarre Carroll, Kevin Murphy
- Wizards: Earl Barron, Cartier Martin, A.J. Price, Shaun Livingston
ShamSports was used in the creation of this post.
