The most notable dates of the 2026 NBA offseason are behind us now that we’re well clear of the draft and the free agent period. However, there are still a number of dates and deadlines to keep an eye on in the coming weeks and months before teams take the court for the 2026/27 regular season.
Here’s the breakdown:
September 22
- Media day for the Rockets.
- Training camps open for the Rockets and Mavericks.
September 25
September 28
- Media day for the remaining NBA teams.
September 29
October 1
- Last day for a restricted free agent to sign his qualifying offer (unless his team agrees to push back the deadline).
October 3
October 16
October 17
- Last day for players on fully non-guaranteed contracts to be waived and not count at all against a team’s 2026/27 cap. They must clear waivers before the first day of the regular season.
[RELATED: Players on non-guaranteed contracts]
October 19
- Last day of the 2026 offseason.
- Roster limits decrease from 21 players to 18 (4:00 pm CT). Teams will be limited to carrying 15 players on standard contracts and three on two-way deals as of this deadline.
- Last day for teams to sign a player to a rookie scale extension (5:00 pm CT).
[RELATED: Players eligible for rookie scale extensions] - Last day for teams to sign an extension-eligible veteran player with multiple seasons left on his contract (such as Tyrese Haliburton) to an extension. An extension-eligible veteran player on an expiring deal (like Stephen Curry) or with a 2027/28 option (e.g. Giannis Antetokounmpo) can still be extended after October 20.
- Last day for teams to complete a sign-and-trade deal.
- Last day for teams to convert a player’s Exhibit 10 contract into a two-way contract.
October 20
Information from NBA.com was used in the creation of this post.
