The NBA’s 2025/26 season includes several groups of players who face specific trade restrictions, depending on how and when they signed their contracts.
Some offseason free-agent additions can’t be traded until December 15 or January 15, while others who signed or were converted from two-way deals after September 15 must wait three months from the signing date.
A handful who signed even later won’t become trade-eligible before the February 5, 2026, deadline.
Several veterans who recently signed extensions are also restricted for six months because their new deals exceed extend-and-trade rules.
Others are entirely ineligible to be moved before the deadline, including players on recently claimed contracts and those who signed super-max extensions, such as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
Players claimed off waivers must wait 30 days before becoming trade-eligible, and those traded during the season can be moved again immediately but can’t have their salary combined with another player’s for matching purposes until two months have passed.
Special timing exceptions apply to players traded in mid-December.
Only players on full standard contracts qualify for these trade rules; two-way and 10-day contract players cannot be traded.
Several offseason signees have unique circumstances that don't allow them to be traded until after December 15: https://t.co/qQPxb6tE5x
— Hoops Rumors (@HoopsRumors) November 23, 2025
