- May 21, 2026
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NBA teams looking to wheel and deal at February's trade deadline face a hard cutoff for adding movable pieces.
Any free agent who signs a standard contract on or after November 12 becomes ineligible to be traded for three months. With this season's deadline set for February 11, that means players signing in that window cannot be dealt this season.
The same restriction applies to players converted from two-way contracts to standard deals. A player promoted on Thursday would be locked out until February 12, one day after the deadline passes.
Veteran center Mason Plumlee is the last signee who will retain trade eligibility this season. His contract with the Sacramento Kings was finalized on November 11, making him available on February 11 if he remains under contract.
Two-way contract signings face only a 30-day restriction. Players who ink two-way deals on or before January 11 would still become trade-eligible ahead of the deadline, though such trades remain uncommon.
Additional lists tracking players with specific trade eligibility dates, including offseason extension signees, will follow.
Mickey's Angle: Front offices had to move fast to preserve flexibility. If your team sat quiet past November 11, don't expect any fresh faces to be flipped at the deadline.
Source: Hoops Rumors - written by Mickey the Mouth from the original report.