Can you trade someone who used Exhibit 9?

[Three34]

Practically, this is an unlikely question, given the three-months-after-signing rule thing.

However, suppose someone signs an exhibit 9 in July. Can you trade them in September? I would suspect not, given that they don't count against team salary, but I'm struggling to prove that to myself.

[answerthink]

The three months after signing rule that you reference states that a player who has signed as a free agent may not be traded until three months after signing or December 15 (or January 15 in certain cases that wouldn't apply to Exhibit 9 contracts), whichever is later. At that point, the Exhibit 9 contract would count against team salary and he could be traded.

A second round draft pick who signs a summer contract can be traded after thirty days, and thus could potentially be traded prior to the start of the regular season. If so, he would count as zero for trade purposes.

[Three34]

Sure, but, take the hypothetical in the opener. Someone signs an exhibit 9 on July 14th. (Unlikely, sure, but possible.) Can you trade him on September 15th?

[Dunkenstein]

Sure, but, take the hypothetical in the opener. Someone signs an exhibit 9 on July 14th. (Unlikely, sure, but possible.) Can you trade him on September 15th?

I'm pretty certain that the "three-months-after-signing rule thing" would prohibit the trade since September 15 would both be less than three months from the signing and also not later than December 15.

[Three34]

Heh. A brain fart there. Forgot the whole "whichever is later" part. Fair point.