The NBA calendar hitting Dec. 15 marks yet another significant date, as 81 free agents who signed in the offseason are now eligible to be traded.
To get a better sense of the 2023-24 trade market, we have organized the entire player pool into different roster types (franchise centerpiece, All-Star, starter, reserve, etc.), listing the salary and years remaining on their contracts. You can use these tables when attempting to determine what trades are possible across the league -- especially since only the Indiana Pacers and Orlando Magic have cap space.
The 2023 collective bargaining agreement introduced new trade rules, which are explained below.
Teams such as the Atlanta Hawks ($23 million), Brooklyn Nets ($19.9, $18.1 and $6.8 million), Washington Wizards ($12.3 million and $9.8 million), Miami Heat ($9.5 and $7.2 million), Portland Trail Blazers ($8.8 and $8.3 million), Memphis Grizzlies ($7.5 million), Philadelphia 76ers ($6.8 million), New York Knicks ($6.8 million), Phoenix Suns ($6.5 million) and Boston Celtics ($6.2 million) have large trade exceptions and can acquire a player without sending back salary.
This is the last trade deadline that teams over the first and second apron (Miami for example) have the ability to use a trade exception.
New trade rules
The NBA and National Basketball Players Association adjusted the trade rules in the new CBA, giving teams below the luxury tax more flexibility and spending power to acquire players in a trade.
The Cleveland Cavaliers acquired Max Strus this offseason in a sign-and-trade deal by using the $7.5 million expanded traded player exception, a $2.5 million increase from the previous CBA.
On the opposite end of the spectrum, high-spending teams over the first and second aprons saw the traded player exception decrease from 125% to 110%, giving them less flexibility in matching salary in potential deals.
Here is a breakdown showing the salaries a team can acquire in a trade.