NBA:Free Agency
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| Transactions | Waivers · Trades · Options · Re-Signing · Draft · Free Agency · G League · Injured Reserve |
| Timeline | Off-Season · In-Season |
| Governance | League Structure · GM Responsibilities · Rule Changes |
| Tools | Re-Sign Calculator · Free Agency Bid Calculator |
Free agents are won by open bidding. Bids are scored in points, and the highest points total that survives 24 hours wins the player.
When
Free agency opens as the last phase of the off-season, after the draft, and that is when most of the pool becomes available at once. The phase opens on a date announced by the commissioner — for 2026 it was August 27.
It then runs through the regular season and the playoffs, with no blackout. It closes when the playoffs end and stays closed until the next free agency phase.
The free agent pool holds players whose contracts expired that summer and were not re-signed, players whose options were declined, undrafted rookies, and players released through waivers.
Ahead of re-signing and free agency, the available players are listed on the UFA tab of the league spreadsheet.
Before you bid
Three things must be true or your bid is invalid:
| Requirement | Detail |
|---|---|
| A current posted roster | If your roster post is not up to date, every bid you make is invalid |
| Enough cap space | You may not bid more than your cap space. No exceptions |
| A roster spot | In-season only. At 15 active players you must state how you will create the spot for the bid to count |
How bidding works
Points = (years × 1.5) + (millions per year × 1)
| Offer | Years | Salary | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 year @ $500,000 | 1.5 | 0.5 | 2.0 |
| 2 years @ $4,000,000 | 3.0 | 4.0 | 7.0 |
| 3 years @ $4,000,000 | 4.5 | 4.0 | 8.5 |
| 4 years @ $10,000,000 | 6.0 | 10.0 | 16.0 |
Raise a bid by adding salary or years. The smallest raise is 0.2 points, which is $200,000 of salary. A year is worth 1.5 points — the equivalent of $1,500,000 per year — so adding a year is a large jump whereas salary moves in small steps.
There is a calculator that scores a bid and shows what beats a standing one.
Winning
Hold the highest points total for 24 hours and the player is yours. Any higher bid resets the clock. TAB confirms the signing.
You have 15 minutes to withdraw a bid. After that it stands.
Contract limits
| Limit | |
|---|---|
| Maximum length | 4 years |
| Maximum length, 35+ | 2 years |
| Minimum salary | $500,000 |
| Minimum raise | 0.2 points |
| Maximum salary | None — but you cannot exceed the cap |
35+ is the player's age on opening day of the upcoming season for an off-season signing, or his age on the date of the first bid on him during the season.
What invalidates a bid
Any of the three requirements above going unmet, plus two things about the post itself:
| Cause | Effect |
|---|---|
| Points added up wrong | The bid is invalid as posted |
| Bid edited without ticking Add the 'Edit by' line in this post | The bid is invalid |
If an over-cap bid wins anyway
If it is not caught until after you have won:
- You take a cap hit of 40% of the salary you offered, held for one year
- The player returns to free agency, with bidding restarting at the previous highest bid on a fresh 24-hour clock
So an $8,000,000 bid you could not afford costs $3,200,000 of cap space for a year, and you do not get the player. Check your space before you post.
How to post
Create a topic in the NBA: Free Agency forum named for the player, stating the offer and the points total:
Sonics offer Caldwell Jones 3 years @ $4,000,000 = 8.5 points
Subsequent bids go in the same thread.
Once you win, add the player to your roster post with his new contract:
Caldwell Jones (HOU - C) $4,000,000 (2029)
See also
- Salary Cap — checking your space before you bid
- Rosters — roster limits and keeping your post current
- Contracts — writing the contract you just won
- Waivers — creating a roster spot after winning
- Off-Season — when free agency opens