RealGM

I stand by my concise answer. The first opportunity that the Cavs would have to trade him would be after their season ends.

Yes Dunk, you are correct in saying that the RFA rules limit CLE's ability to trade him without his permission even thereafter. But he is tradeable at that point, and not tradeable prior to then due to the rule loserx noted.

And as wiltforever noted later, the obvious issue he wanted to determine is "When can the Cavs first potentially put Varejao on the trade market? Can he be used right now to address some of their needs in trade?" And the answer is, No, he's not allowed to be trade fodder until May or June.

The additional details are: Varejao can't be traded for any reason for the first 3 months after signing his contract. Then the trade deadline will have already passed, meaning he isn't tradeable until the Cavs season is over. At that point, the 1-year "restriction" that applies because CLE matched the offer sheet is still in effect wherein he can't be traded to CHA at all or elsewhere without his permission still applies, but he is nevertheless tradeable.

COON's FAQ #85 part of which I have copied below outlines the various situations under which trades cannot occur, and I've bolded the 3 that come into play here.

...teams cannot trade players under the following circumstances:

* For two months after receiving the player in trade or claiming him off waivers, if the player is being traded in combination with other players. However, the team is free to trade the player by himself (not packaged with other players) immediately. This restriction applies only to teams over the salary cap. (Also see question number 72 for a special case where players can be traded together in less than two months.)

* When the trading deadline has passed. Teams are free to make trades again once their season has ended, but cannot trade players whose contracts are ending or could end due to an option or ETO.

* For three months or until December 15th of that season (whichever is later) after signing a contract as a free agent. This obviously does not apply to the trade completing a sign-and-trade transaction (see question number 76). Interestingly, however, it is unclear whether this rule prevents a player who has been signed-and-traded from being traded agiain prior to three months/December 15 (see question number 80).

* For 30 days after signing as a draft pick.

* Without the player's consent when the player is playing under a one-year contract (excluding any option year) and will have Larry Bird or Early Bird rights at the end of the season. This includes first round draft picks following their fourth (option) season, who accept their team's qualifying offer for their fifth season. When the player consents to such a trade, the team loses its Larry Bird/Early Bird rights, and the player is considered a Non-Bird free agent. Note: when there is an option year involved, they can get around this regulation by invoking the option prior to the trade.

* For one year after exercising the right of first refusal to keep a restricted free agent (however, the player can consent to a trade to any team except the team that tried to sign him).

* After claiming a player on waivers, for 30 days if the player was claimed during a season, or until the first day of the next season if the player was claimed during the offseason.

* A team cannot reacquire a player they traded away during that season (a season being July 1 - June 30) unless the player has been waived.

* In the special case of players waived through the amnesty provision (see question number 18), the player cannot be reacquired for the length of the terminated contract.


Wiltforever, the rule you are looking at (Art XI, Sect 5 g) is only one of the rules that applies to Varejao or a player like him. The other rule - one that governs all free agent signings - and that underlies the 3rd bolded point above, reads as follows:

Art VII Sec 8 (d)

(d) Except as set forth in Section 8(e) below: (1) no player who signs a Contract as a Free Agent may be traded before the later of (i) three (3) months following the date on which such Contract was signed or (ii) the December 15 of the Salary Cap Year in which such Contract was signed;

The exception noted, in Sec 8 (e), is for sign-and-trades.

Bottom line: If the Cavs want to make an in-season trade this year, it can't include Varejao.

FGump wrote:Bottom line: If the Cavs want to make an in-season trade this year, it can't include Varejao.

Thank you all.

Dunkenstein wrote:-= original quote snipped =-


What's "the OP"?

Oops, sorry. "OP" = "original post", i.e. the first in this thread.