When does NBA free agency 2027 start? July 1 opens the league year and moratorium — negotiations with other clubs’ FAs begin June 30 at 6 p.m. ET; most official signings wait until about July 6 noon ET.
Current target date: Thursday, July 1, 2027 (Moratorium opens). We update this page when Nba free agency publishes schedule changes.
NBA free agency 2027: Jun 30 6 p.m. ET talks open; Jul 1 league year/moratorium; most ink files ~Jul 6 noon. Agreement ≠ signed contract. Draft Jun 24 is a different clock.
Moratorium opens
Thursday, July 1, 2027
July 1, 2027 — league year and moratorium open; the rumour mill already started June 30 at 6 p.m.
NBA free agency 2027 is tracked to Thursday, July 1 — the new league year and the heart of the July moratorium. In practice the fireworks often start six hours early: June 30 at 6:00 p.m. ET, when teams can negotiate with other clubs’ free agents.
Agreements will splash across timelines immediately. Most official signatures wait until the moratorium ends around July 6 at noon ET. This countdown is the front door of that circus — not Draft night and not Finals Game 1.
Confirmed: Jun 30 negotiate / Jul 1 league year / Jul 6 signings — not “ink dries July 1,” not Draft night
Confirmed pattern under the current CBA: June 30, 6:00 p.m. ET negotiations with other upcoming free agents; July 1 new league year + moratorium; most signings/trades official after the moratorium (about July 6 midday ET); cap figure set before July. Not confirmed as a one-day free-for-all where every contract files at midnight July 1. Fake “Player X officially signed July 1 at 12:01” stubs often confuse agreement with paperwork.
From Finals hangover to the July 6 signing gate
- After Finals — exclusive talks with a team’s own upcoming free agents.
- Jun 24 2027 — working Draft night (separate countdown).
- Jun 30, 6:00 p.m. ET — negotiate with other clubs’ free agents.
- Jul 1 — new league year; moratorium window in full swing.
- Jul 6 ~noon ET — moratorium lifts; most contracts and trades can file.
How to read a free-agency “agreement” without confusing it for a signed deal
- Jun 30 6 p.m. ET: negotiation open with other teams’ FAs.
- Jul 1: league year + moratorium — reports ≠ official filings.
- Jul 6 ~noon ET: typical first wave of official signatures.
- Own-team exclusive window after Finals ≠ league-wide open.
- Draft Jun 24 is roster building by pick — not this free-agency clock.
The headline “signs with” on July 1 is usually an agreement — the CBA still makes most ink wait until about July 6
Free-agency SEO collapses three clocks into one word. June 30 at 6 p.m. opens talks with other clubs’ free agents. July 1 starts the league year and the moratorium where terms can be struck. Official signings for most deals wait until the moratorium ends around July 6 at noon Eastern. That agree-vs-sign gap is the page’s non-templated hook — why timelines explode days before contracts actually file.
Honest copy keeps July 1 as the tracked moratorium/league-year gate, explains June 30 and July 6 in plain language, and refuses to treat every Shams alert as a filed contract.
Frequently asked questions
Quick answers about this release date.
1When does NBA free agency 2027 start?
Mark two clocks. Teams can usually begin negotiating with other clubs’ upcoming free agents on June 30 at 6:00 p.m. ET. July 1 starts the new league year and the July moratorium window this page counts to — most deals cannot be officially signed until about July 6 at noon ET.
2Can players sign contracts on July 1?
Mostly no. During the moratorium, clubs may negotiate and agree to terms, but the bulk of free-agent contracts and trades cannot be made official until the moratorium lifts (typically July 6 around midday ET). Some exceptions (minimums, two-ways, rookies) follow CBA carve-outs.
3What about talking to your own free agents?
After the Finals, teams get an exclusive window to negotiate with their own upcoming free agents before the June 30 open to the rest of the league. That is not the same as the league-wide free-agency blast this countdown tracks.
4Is free agency the same night as the Draft?
No. The 2027 Draft is a late-June podium night (working Round 1 June 24). Free-agency phones for other teams’ free agents open at the June 30 / July 1 turn — different product, different searches.
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