The 2025 NBA free agency negotiation period officially begins on June 30, 2025, at 6 p.m. ET. However, no contracts can be officially signed at that moment; this initial phase is called the "moratorium period." Teams can negotiate and agree on terms with free agents but cannot finalize contracts yet. The actual official start of free agency, when teams can begin signing free agents and making deals official, is on July 6, 2025, at 12:01 p.m. ET. From this date, contracts can be signed, trades made official, and all agreements completed. To summarize:
- June 30, 2025, 6 p.m. ET: Free agency negotiation period starts (moratorium begins)
- July 6, 2025, 12:01 p.m. ET: Free agency officially starts, contracts can be signed
The free agency period remains active throughout the summer until early October, with varying roster signing restrictions once the NBA regular season begins.
