The NBA Cup will conclude Tuesday, Dec. 17, which will bring into focus all the slop you can handle. The trade deadline is just a couple months away, and with the first quarter of the season complete, teams have a clearer idea of where they stand, what weaknesses need to be addressed, and which players may be best suited to do so.
With that in mind, here are the key details to be aware of as we get prepared for trade season.
Date: Thursday, Feb. 6, 2025.
Time: 3:00 p.m. EST/12:00 p.m. PST.
When Are Free Agent Signings Eligible To Be Traded?
Before the trade deadline, Dec. 15 presents an important checkpoint as players who signed extensions early enough in the summer become eligible for trade. This season, 85 players will become eligible for trade as of Dec. 15, including the likes of DeMar DeRozan and Tobias Harris.
Also worth noting is some notable names who signed extensions late in the summer. Joel Embiid, Lauri Markkanen, Jamal Murray, Aaron Gordon, Ivica Zubac, Wendell Carter Jr. and T.J. McConnell are all ineligible to be traded before the deadline.
Teams most likely to be in the mix are the Golden State Warriors, Chicago Bulls, New Orleans Pelicans, Washington Wizards and Portland Trail Blazers. Among the names at the top of shoppers’ lists will be Nikola Vucevic, Brandon Ingram, Jonathan Kuminga and Zach LaVine.
This should be a particularly intriguing trade deadline, as teams show their hand with how they want to operate in the new NBA salary cap land of the second apron. The belief is that teams will be more conservative than years past, as they become that much more cognizant of possible long-term ramifications.
Minimum Contracts Will Be More Valuable Than Ever
One key trend to monitor at the 2025 NBA trade deadline will be how teams value minimum contracts.
New apron restrictions and luxury tax rules could lead to a quieter trade deadline than we’ve seen in years past but that doesn’t mean contending teams will shy away from improving their odds at making a deep run in the playoffs. Instead, look for contenders to be more savvy at the deadline, adding impact players on a much lower price tag.
Guerschon Yabusele and Toumani Camara are among the players who fit the bill that could be available at the NBA trade deadline but don’t expect them to be moved before Feb. 6. That’s because high-impact players on minimum contracts are more valuable than ever in today’s NBA.
Per NBA insider Jake Fischer, “Minimum contracts have never been more valuable in trade discussions than they are now as teams all over the league grapple with luxury tax apron restrictions.”
