Waivers and the effect on Bird Rights

DBoys · Post #1 » by **DBoys** » Mon Feb 13, 2012 12:48 am

In the Coon FAQ, when talking abut Bird (or Early Bird) rights, it uses the following wording:

"The player must complete his contract immediately prior to becoming a free agent, which essentially means he can't have been waived." (26)

"...without being waived or changing teams as a free agent" (19)

As I read it, the implication seems to be that a waiver within the period in question COMPLETELY resets the Bird clock. So I am trying to find the wording in the CBA that says it completely resets when a waiver occurs, and I'm having no luck. Can someone point me in the right direction?

I do see that immediately after a waiver, there is no team attached to the player at that point, and therefore no Bird possibility. But if, after the waiver the player signs again with the prior team, from the Bird definitions in the CBA, it looks to me like the Bird status at that point would include the prior contract as well, despite the waiver in the middle, and i can't find anything to the contrary in the CBA.

For example, let's say a player signs a 3-year deal for $2M per season, with the final season completely unguaranteed. After the second year, his team decides that $2M is too rich for their blood, and waives him. But then they sign him to a new 1 year deal for the minimum. At the end of that year, would there be full Bird rights, or not? If not, help me out with a citation please.

answerthink · Post #2 » by **answerthink** » Mon Feb 13, 2012 5:10 pm

The player’s Bird rights would be maintained in your example.

DBoys · Post #3 » by **DBoys** » Mon Feb 13, 2012 5:25 pm

answerthink wrote:The player’s Bird rights would be maintained in your example.

Thanks for the input,

That's what I thought from reading the CBA, but the Coon wording gave me pause.

Do you have any input on the Lin situation in the other thread, involving waivers and Bird Rights and a CBA that - per several who would usually seem to know - supposedly doesn't mean what it says?

answerthink · Post #4 » by **answerthink** » Mon Feb 13, 2012 10:59 pm

The language in the CBA is quite unambiguous in regard to the Lin situation. His Bird rights were reset when he was claimed by the Knicks off waivers.