Today is December 15, which means that – by our count – 81 NBA players who signed as free agents this offseason have officially become eligible to be traded.
The list of newly trade-eligible players, which can be found right here, features a number of guys who almost certainly aren’t going anywhere this season, such as Rockets guard Fred VanVleet. However, it also includes some players whose names have already popped up in trade speculation in the months since they were signed, such as Lakers guard D’Angelo Russell.
Kyrie Irving, Draymond Green, Khris Middleton, Russell Westbrook, and Dillon Brooks are some of the other notable players who are trade-eligible as of Friday.
Eight of the players on the list can’t be dealt without their consent, since they have the ability to veto trades this season. The Clippers, Bucks, and Suns are each carrying multiple players who fit that bill.
Twelve more newly trade-eligible players are still on non-guaranteed contracts, including multiple members of the Celtics and Nets.
Finally, it’s worth noting that there are still many recently signed players around the NBA who remain ineligible to be dealt. Some will become trade-eligible on January 15, while others have specific dates to watch.
Of course, while December 15 is considered the unofficial start of the NBA’s trade season, we shouldn’t expect a flurry of deals in the coming days. Typically, teams wait until closer to the trade deadline (February 8) to make their moves.
The most recent trade to be completed on December 15 occurred in 2010, and there generally aren’t more than one or two deals made between now and the new year. In 2022/23, the first in-season trade didn’t occur until January 5.
The league’s recent trade history doesn’t mean we won’t see any trades this month, but if there are more than a couple, it would be an exception to the rule. We should expect more activity in January and February, even as talks start to heat up in December.
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