NBA Trade Season: Must-Know Complete List of 45 Players Who Can't Be Traded

NBA trade chatter has spiked on Monday after 82 players became trade eligible, according to ESPN’s salary cap guru Bobby Marks. After much speculation, Marks said that “82 free agents signed in the offseason are now eligible to be traded.” Additionally, “90% of the 436 players under contract do not have a trade restriction.”

However, the remaining 10% have designated trade eligibility dates past Dec. 15. One player can’t change teams until after the season ends. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who agreed to a four-year, $273.3 million supermax extension in July with the Thunder, can’t be traded within one year after signing.

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List of NBA players who can’t be traded on Dec. 15 for contractual reasons

Here is Bobby Marks’ list of players who will remain with their respective teams and when they can be traded based on contractual conditions:

Heading the list are NBA superstars LeBron James (Lakers) and Damian Lillard (Blazers). Both have no-trade clauses, giving them veto rights for any trade.

P.J. Washington, Toumani Camara, A.J. Green and Aaron Nesmith have six-month trade restrictions on contracts they signed after Aug. 5, per Spotrac. Hence, they are trade-in ineligible before Feb. 5.

Most of the names on the list aren’t trade eligible until Jan. 15, the significance of which is explained by Marks:

“The Jan. 15th restriction is for free agents who signed with their own teams (with either Bird or early Bird rights) and a contract that is 120% greater than the previous season.”

Marks also defined the poison pill provision (PPP) as:

“Players still on their rookie deals before an extension kicks in, the NBA counts their fourth-year salary as outgoing money and the average of the extension amount and last year of their rookie contract as incoming money.”

The NBA analyst gave Jabari Smith Jr. as an example. Smith is on the Rockets’ payroll for $12.3 million, a figure that jumps to $22.4 million for a team that trades for the lanky forward.

A few players have restrictions called the one-year Bird rights (1YB), which Bobby Marks defined as:

“This restriction applies if a free agent signs a one-year contract and will have Bird rights with his current team when he becomes a free agent. A player can still be traded but must consent to the deal.”

The players with this restriction are Keaton Wallace (Hawks), Gary Payton II (Warriors) and Quentin Grimes (76ers).

Nearly two months into the season, a few teams have emerged as serious contenders to the OKC Thunder’s reign. Some teams also look like they are returning or dropping to the NBA lottery. Regardless, teams can plan better now that the availability of players for a trade is clear.

Edited by Michael Macasero