We now have a date for the NBA Draft Lottery – May 12 – and a lot of others before then.
Things may get intense this week on the trade front. Another batch of players — 17 in all — who have been ineligible to be dealt will become available Wednesday. And no team has been as active as the Brooklyn Nets so far this trade season. Already, Dennis Schroder, Dorian Finney-Smith and Shake Milton have been shipped out while D’Angelo Russell, a couple of young guys, Reece Beekman and Maxwell Lewis, and six second rounders have arrived at Barclays Center. The most prominent name, of course, is Cam Johnson.
We also now have dates for the NBA Lottery, May 12, and the NBA Draft Combine, May 11-18 (both in Chicago) that will garner a lot of Nets fans attention. So, that said, here’s the calendar. Reserve a space for it on your fridge.
—January 15 – Final restrictions are lifted on who can be traded. Before Wednesday, there were still 17 players who couldn’t be dealt. They had been re-signed in the offseason 1) using bird or early-bird rights to a contract that was 2) 20% greater or more than their previous contract. For the Nets, that applies to Nic Claxton. It also applies to a number of players who might be included in prospective Cam Johnson deals.
—January 21 – WNBA free agency opens. The Liberty’s Jonathan Kolb has proven to be an aggressive GM. Satou Sabally anyone?
—January 24-27 – Long Island Nets —as “Les Nets” — travel to suburban Montreal for first two of six “home games” the organization is playing in Place Bell in Laval, Quebec. It’s a way for the Nets to open a new fan base in French-speaking Canada.
—January 25 – Brooklyn Nets retire Vince Carter’s No. 15 at Barclays Center vs. Miami Heat. Game time: 6:00 p.m. ET.
—February 1 – WNBA free agents can sign new deals.
—February 5 – 6: “Les Nets” second two-game visit to Montreal.
—February 5: Two-day window opens for De’Anthony Melton’s expiring $12.8 million contract to be traded. Under new CBA, players in his situation can only be traded the day of the trade deadline or the day before. Hard to imagine the Nets taking on any big new deal, but trade ballast has many uses.
—February 6: NBA Trade Deadline (3:00 p.m. ET)
—February 14-19: NBA All-Star Break.
—February 16: All-Star Game at Chase Center in San Francisco. Will any Nets get invited to the skills competitions?
—March 1: Playoff Eligibility Waiver Deadline. Players seeking eligibility for playoffs must be waived by this date. Big day for players on bad teams wanting to be bought out and signed by contenders.
—March 4: Deadline for signing two-way players. Nets have shuffled players in and out of two-way slots all season.
—March 13 – 14: Third two-game visit of Long Island’s “Les Nets” to suburban Montreal.
—April 1: G League Playoffs begin.
—April 1: McDonald’s All-American Game at Barclays Center. The Nets have a lot of picks going forward. Good way to get an early look and Ellie the Elephant will team up with Grimace for the game.
—April 13: NBA Regular Season ends. All 30 teams to play. Nets close out season vs. Knicks at Barclays Center.
—April 14 – WNBA Draft. New York has seventh pick in the first round.
—April 15-18: NBA Play-In Tournament.
—April 19: NBA Playoffs begin
—April 29: WNBA Training Camp Begins
—May 9-11: G League Combine
—May 11-18: NBA Draft Combine
—May 12: NBA Draft Lottery in Chicago. Where will the Nets pick?
—May 17: New York Liberty open defense of their WNBA title. Banner raising at Barclays Center!
—June 5: NBA Finals 2025 presented by YouTube TV begin. All games will be televised on ABC
—June TBA: NBA Draft. Who will the Nets pick? At the moment, the Nets have four first rounders and a second rounder, most in the league. Nothing official on date.
—June 29: Jalen Wilson and Keon Johnson team options for 2025-26; Qualifying Offers must be extended to Cam Thomas, Day’Ron Sharpe and Ziaire Williams before restricted free agency begins; 2025-26 Guarantee date for Maxwell Lewis.
—June 30: NBA teams may begin negotiating with all other upcoming free agents (beginning at 6 p.m. ET). Applies to re-signings as well. Nets will have an estimated $50 million to $70 million in cap space, more than any other team by a long shot.
—July 6: Free agent signings and Draft Day trades become official. Cam Johnson can be extended.
—July 17–21: WNBA All-Star Break
—July 19: WNBA All-Star Game
—September 28: Rough starting date for training camp and Media Day. Teams that play preseason games overseas start earlier than other teams.
—October 10: First of two NBA China Games vs. Phoenix Suns at the 14,000 capacity Venetian in Macao.
—October 12: Second of two NBA China Games. Same opponent, same venue
There are other decisions that have less firm dates, like whether Jordi Fernandez will continue to coach Team Canada, starting with this summer. Fernandez has said he’s unsure, but at some point, he will have to tell Canadian Basketball of his plans. One point in his decision-making process is whether he wants to devote his summer to FIBA. In addition to his role as head coach with Team Canada, Fernandez has been an assistant for the Spanish and Nigerian teams in international play.