In the NBA, it is an open secret that the vast majority of franchises negotiate with “free agents” before the opening of “free agency”, even if it is prohibited by the regulations. This is the case for the “free agents” of other teams, and it is all the more so for the “free agents” of the teams in question.
According to The Athletic, the league will however adapt since, from next season, players at the end of their contract will be able to negotiate with their club as soon as the Finals are over.
Potentially, the clubs and their “free agents” will thus have a fortnight to discuss upstream.
Enough to best prepare the “free agency”, without having to work out the financial details in the shadows. A kind of “Harden Rule” since we remember that the Sixers were sanctioned, at the start of the campaign, for having worked with James Harden on his new contract, in order to be able to recover PJ Tucker and Danuel House Jr.
New change in NBA-NBPA collective bargaining agreement starting 2023-24: Teams will be able to begin talks/negotiations with their own free agents one day after final game of Finals in June – potentially weeks earlier than currently allowed, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) April 12, 2023
