Why are teams allowed to trade players while the season is still ongoing?

[bkkrh]

Of all the weird things that go on as well during the playoffs (regular season awards & draft lottery to name the other 2) this was always the most mind boggling to me. It is a huge disadvantage against teams that are still playing and can't make moves.

I don't see any benefit or good reason on why this is actually possible. From my perspective trades should only be possible from the day after the last finals game onwards, which is also the first day that teams can negotiate with their own free agents.

[dirkdiggler4177]

After this season’s official NBA trade deadline, trades are indeed not allowed—unless one of the teams involved has already had its season officially end. That means:

Once a team is eliminated from the playoffs—or is out after the play-in or finals—they are again eligible to trade.

You’ll sometimes see “announced” deals during the playoffs or even Finals, but those trades are either between teams already eliminated, or they are agreements in principle that become official only when the league year switches or the other team exits.

[MrGoat]

If you're already in the Finals you don't need any extra advantages.

[Dominator83]

The teams who traded today, their seasons ended a long time ago

[bkkrh]

If you're already in the Finals you don't need any extra advantages.

It's not only during the finals. Every team that doesn't make the Playoffs or is out of the Playoffs can do trades. Also how is it an extra advantage? Those teams are at an additional disadvantage based on that.

As an example in 2021 Boston lost in the first round. They traded for Al Horford during the 2nd round. So a team that had made the Conference Finals in 3 of the previous 4 seasons was able to make a trade while 7 other teams were not able to.

What you are basically saying is that an underdog that makes it to the finals like the Pacers doesn't need to be able to make a trade while the 64 win Cavs that they beat could have just traded for Desmond Bane as well.

[Bornstellar]

How is this a disadvantage for the teams still playing? The trades have implications for the upcoming season and all of those teams' seasons are over, the teams in the Finals are still playing for the current season. Literally no disadvantage to them at all

[og15]

How is this a disadvantage for the teams still playing? The trades have implications for the upcoming season and all of those teams' seasons are over, the teams in the Finals are still playing for the current season. Literally no disadvantage to them at all

I'm assuming the disadvantage the poster is suggesting is for adjusting their rosters for next season.

If a team like Indiana had the plan of trying to trade for Desmond Bane to improve their team next season, they don't get to be in play for that.

[Godymas]

How is this a disadvantage for the teams still playing? The trades have implications for the upcoming season and all of those teams' seasons are over, the teams in the Finals are still playing for the current season. Literally no disadvantage to them at all

What if Indiana wanted to trade for Bane, regardless of what happened.

However the bigger issue is teams doing trades while the second round is happening. A second round exit team will want to improve

[Bornstellar]

How is this a disadvantage for the teams still playing? The trades have implications for the upcoming season and all of those teams' seasons are over, the teams in the Finals are still playing for the current season. Literally no disadvantage to them at all

I'm assuming the disadvantage the poster is suggesting is for adjusting their rosters for next season.

If a team like Indiana had the plan of trying to trade for Desmond Bane to improve their team next season, they don't get to be in play for that.

I suppose, but if Memphis FO really thought Indy had something they wanted they would just wait to make the trade until after the Finals

[shrink]

Well, it’s not a “huge” advantage, because very few trades actually happen between the end of a team’s season and the deadline. This is because CBA rules limit the players who legally be traded, to players who have contracts that run into next season.

But the overall rules about trading hint at why this is allowed. The NBA has a trade deadline in February, because it doesn’t want a trade later in the season to completely change the playoffs. However, it is available at all other times because they recognize the importance of team-building.

[mg]

The front offices of teams still in the playoffs are still active having conversations around the league even if they can't technically pull the trigger on a deal until next week. Neither OKC or Indiana would've been making an offer on Bane.

[og15]

How is this a disadvantage for the teams still playing? The trades have implications for the upcoming season and all of those teams' seasons are over, the teams in the Finals are still playing for the current season. Literally no disadvantage to them at all

I'm assuming the disadvantage the poster is suggesting is for adjusting their rosters for next season.

If a team like Indiana had the plan of trying to trade for Desmond Bane to improve their team next season, they don't get to be in play for that.

I suppose, but if Memphis FO really thought Indy had something they wanted they would just wait to make the trade until after the Finals

That's fair, and I was just using Indy as an example, obviously it could be any team. I certainly understand the logic that it is unfair, because just because a team makes the finals doesn't mean they will be back there or that they are content with their team.

That said, if owners had complained enough about this, they would have voted to change it by now. Not too many trades happen in that after a teams season is fully over and before the draft span anyways, and of course the GM's are still talking.

[bkkrh]

How is this a disadvantage for the teams still playing? The trades have implications for the upcoming season and all of those teams' seasons are over, the teams in the Finals are still playing for the current season. Literally no disadvantage to them at all

I'm assuming the disadvantage the poster is suggesting is for adjusting their rosters for next season.

If a team like Indiana had the plan of trying to trade for Desmond Bane to improve their team next season, they don't get to be in play for that.

Exactly, yes. On paper, both teams would have been able to make a trade package for Bane and on both teams he would have generally been a good fit. I just don't see any reason why trades should be possible for teams earlier because their season is over.

[og15]

How is this a disadvantage for the teams still playing? The trades have implications for the upcoming season and all of those teams' seasons are over, the teams in the Finals are still playing for the current season. Literally no disadvantage to them at all

I'm assuming the disadvantage the poster is suggesting is for adjusting their rosters for next season.

If a team like Indiana had the plan of trying to trade for Desmond Bane to improve their team next season, they don't get to be in play for that.

Exactly, yes. On paper, both teams would have been able to make a trade package for Bane and on both teams he would have generally been a good fit. I just don't see any reason why trades should be possible for teams earlier because their season is over.

I get where you're coming from. As I said in my earlier post, I'm assuming teams aren't complaining about this because it doesn't tend to happen very often that there is a trade between end of season and draft, so maybe they don't care enough about the few times it happens.

Also, of course their GM's while they can't actually make any moves will still be active, and you also aren't going to be putting any of your active players in the finals names out there in any trade scenarios, though I don't think we get too many leaks of possible players being floated in trades during this time either.

Realistically, there probably is no harm done to anyone if they changed it to after the finals ends, but whatever.

[bkkrh]

How is this a disadvantage for the teams still playing? The trades have implications for the upcoming season and all of those teams' seasons are over, the teams in the Finals are still playing for the current season. Literally no disadvantage to them at all

I'm assuming the disadvantage the poster is suggesting is for adjusting their rosters for next season.

If a team like Indiana had the plan of trying to trade for Desmond Bane to improve their team next season, they don't get to be in play for that.

I suppose, but if Memphis FO really thought Indy had something they wanted they would just wait to make the trade until after the Finals

In a lot of cases you will be right, there can be scenarios like additional trades that are pending on this one, it can impact draft decisions, maybe a team is affraid that another trade goes off the table.

Here it only impacted 2 teams, but there were cases as mentioned with Horford where almost a quarter of the league was out as a potential trade candidate. One of the main complaints related to the Luka trade was that Dallas didn't even check offers with other teams, so it is also going a bit in this direction.

As some other posters mentioned, this is something that had almost no impact until now, so I see it more as the impact it could potentially have. Imagine something like the Luka/AD trade happening in the Playoffs after the Lakers just lost in the 1st round. So my perspective is more to change it before it becomes an issue.

[shrink]

The other thing that should be mentioned is that every team’s front office is working on trades, draft prep, and free agency right now. It doesn’t matter if a team is in the playoffs, because their team doesn’t require additional new services by the front office.

And of course, the NBA tried to discourage teams from trading in the Finals, to not distract interest from the playoff product.

[bkkrh]

The other thing that should be mentioned is that every team’s front office is working on trades, draft prep, and free agency right now. It doesn’t matter if a team is in the playoffs, because their team doesn’t require additional new services by the front office.

And of course, the NBA tried to discourage teams from trading in the Finals, to not distract interest from the playoff product.

It matters in the sense that:

- Those teams still in the playoffs can't complete trades, other teams can.
- It will be super tricky for teams that are still competing to actively be involved in trade talks. Imagine it gets leaked Indiana had conversations about trading some of their current players, while those players are currently competing for a championship.
- Teams can't resign their own players before the finals are over. So this is prohibited, while it just involves one team and is in a lot of cases more of a formal thing.

The current situation is:

- This season the league had 3 60 win teams. 2 of those teams, one having current 2 All Stars, the other having 3 were theoretically able to start doing trades one week earlier than 3 teams with a lower regular season record and less talented rosters that just had more Playoff success.
- 2023 Milwaukee, the team with the best league record is able to do trades earlier than 11 other teams in the league, including 41 win Atlanta.
- 2022 64 win Phoenix, the only team that had 60+ wins that season, can do trades ahead of 4 other teams.

It was never greatly abused yet, but it is possible and doable. So why wait until that happens, if this could simply be changed? I don't see any benefit of the current situation.

[KGDirkTD_Fan]

I don't really see a big disadvantage. If the current market believes either of these teams could be active in some trade like for Bane they could hold out and wait for the finals to conclude and to include them in trade talks.

Even without mentioning names it could just be "hey, follow up with us after the finals we could have something interesting" and it's up to them if they want to wait it out or get a deal done.

[YogurtProducer]

How is this a disadvantage for the teams still playing? The trades have implications for the upcoming season and all of those teams' seasons are over, the teams in the Finals are still playing for the current season. Literally no disadvantage to them at all

I'm assuming the disadvantage the poster is suggesting is for adjusting their rosters for next season.

If a team like Indiana had the plan of trying to trade for Desmond Bane to improve their team next season, they don't get to be in play for that.

Teams can still call Indiana. Indiana can still talk to teams.

[ChuckChilly]

There's a pro and a con to everything. This is just one of the cons of making it the Finals