One of the beautiful things about signing a new contract in the NBA is that there is a minimum day requirement that the player has to be on the team before they can be traded. There are many factors that play into this requirement.
After rookies sign their rookie contracts, the teams that drafted them have a right to extend their contract through bird or early bird rights. This allows a team to sign that rookie without it taking a hit on their cap space and two, prevents the player from being traded before January 15th. Then, some players signed a free agent contract or a veteran extension. If this contract is signed six months before the trade deadline or later, that player cannot get traded as there is a six-month trade restriction in those contracts.
The most notable contract restriction is when a player signs a new free-agent contract with a new team. The rule is that the player has to be signed with a team for three months or until December 15th, whichever is later. Here are three Nets who can't be traded until December 15th.
3. Trendon Watford
Trendon Watford was an undrafted signing, a two-way player for the Portland Trail Blazers in the 2021 offseason. He would spend the first two years of his career there and not play in the 2022-23 season. On June 20, he was waived by Portland, and on August 3, 2023, he signed a contract with the Brooklyn Nets.
Based on the rules of signing a contract as an unrestricted free agent, it's either three months after the agreement is signed or until December 15, whichever is later, until the player can be traded. Since December 15 is later than three months after the contract was signed, that's when he can be traded.
So far this season, Watford has played in just 11 games for the Nets, averaging 6.8 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 1.8 assists with .515/.385/.889 shooting splits. For a role player, those are outstanding numbers.
With the current state of the Nets, they have multiple injury-prone players. Cameron Johnson, Ben Simmons, and Nic Claxton are the ones who play a similar role to Trendon Watford, which has made him a valuable piece so far.
Since Watford plays great in a limited role, teams may be looking for someone like Watford whenever the Nets' injured players return. As a 6-foot-9 power forward that can shoot, many teams could use that in their lineup.
Based on the current rules of the contract, Watford won't be available for trade until December 15th.