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New NBA calendar: Key dates for free agency and the 2020-21 season

Now that the league has settled on Dec. 22 as the official start date of the 2020-21 regular-season schedule, other key dates and events are settling into place.

With NBA free agency set to begin on Friday, here's a look at the league's new upcoming calendar and important deadlines for teams and players to exercise contract options. Nearly 100 players are eligible for either rookie or veteran extensions that teams will need to decide whether to exercise during the offseason.

Stay tuned to this page for additional updates and latest information.

MORE: Full NBA draft analysis


Key dates

Nov. 19

  • Last day for a team or player option to be exercised

  • Last day for a player to receive a qualifying offer and become a restricted free agent

Nov. 20

  • Free-agent negotiations can begin (6 p.m. ET)

Nov. 21

  • Free-agency moratorium ends, negotiations can begin (12:01 a.m. ET)

  • First-round selections can sign contracts

  • Minimum contracts (2 less years) can sign

  • Restricted free agent can sign an offer sheet

  • Third- and fourth-year rookie options can be exercised

Nov. 22

  • Free agency begins, players and teams can sign deals (12:00 p.m. ET)

  • Teams can sign free agents

  • Trades can become official

  • Rookie scale and veteran contracts can be extended

  • Clock begins on offer sheets

Nov. 27

  • Last day to withdraw a qualifying offer

Dec. 1

  • Training camp begins

Dec. 9

  • Last day to use the waive and stretch provision

Dec. 11

  • Preseason begins

Dec. 19

  • Last day of preseason

  • Last day to waive a player on a non-guaranteed contract and not incur a salary-cap charge

Dec. 21

  • Last day of the offseason

  • Last date to sign a rookie scale or veteran extension (two years left) or supermax extension

  • Rosters are restricted to 15

Dec. 22

  • Regular season begins

Dec. 29

  • Last day to exercise a third- and fourth-year options in a rookie scale contract

Feb. 6

  • Free agents who signed a contract can be traded in the offseason

Feb. 23

  • 10-day contracts can be signed

Feb. 25

  • Last day to waive a player on a partially guaranteed contract before his salary becomes fully protected

March 3

  • Last day to apply for the disabled player exception

  • Free agents who received a raise greater than 120% of their previous salary and signed with the Bird or early Bird exception can be traded

March 5

  • All-Star break begins until March 10

March TBD

  • Trade deadline

April 9

  • Last date for a player to be waived and become eligible for the playoffs

April 17

  • Disabled player exception expires

May 16

  • Last date of the regular season

  • Last date to sign a contract

  • 2020-21 team payroll is frozen

  • Last date to convert a two-way contract

May 18-21

  • Play-in tournament

May 22

  • NBA playoffs begin

June 7

  • Conference semifinals

June TBD

  • NBA draft lottery

June TBD

  • Pre-draft combine

June 22

  • Conference Finals

July 8-22

  • NBA Finals

July TBD

  • 2021 NBA draft


Potential free agents: Option deadlines

Nov. 19

Guarantee dates

Nov. 19

Nov. 20

Nov. 21

  • Semi Ojeleye (BOS) from $0 to $1.75 million

  • Daniel Theis (BOS) from $0 to $5 million

  • Svi Mykhailiuk (DET) from $0 to $1.66 million

  • Norvel Pelle (PHI) from $0 to $1.5 million

Nov. 22

Nov. 23

Nov. 24

Nov. 25

Nov. 26

Nov. 28

Nov. 29

Veteran-extension eligible

Rookie-extension eligible


Trade exceptions expire

Nov. 22

  • Memphis: $3.2M and $3.1 million trade exception expires

Nov. 23

  • Golden State: $17.2M trade exception expires

  • Memphis: $3.4M trade exception expires

Nov. 24

  • Oklahoma City: $9.4M trade exception expires

  • Memphis: $4.8M trade exception expires

Nov. 26

  • Oklahoma City: $10.4M trade exception expires

Note: Only lists trade exceptions that expire before Feb. 1