NBA free agency begins in July, but not all expiring players will hit the market.

Some will re-sign with their current teams before the end of June, or if they have an option, opt into their final season to extend.

Rule changes officially allow teams to discuss new contracts with potential free agents the day after the NBA Finals concludes, but in plain terms, the rules are typically ignored. Early negotiations, though illegal, are a standard practice—though the league will duly punish if anything leaks out or if the NBA finds a paper/digital trail.

It behooves a player's agent to get a firm grip on the market well before negotiations are legal (technically, June 30) because most of the available money is gone by July 1 or 2. So, upon gauging their client's value, an agent may find that keeping his player with the same team may be the best move.

If so, why wait? The sooner a player has guaranteed money locked in, the better.

But not every player is extension-eligible. Only contracts of at least three years of length can be extended (typically after the second anniversary; third year for the longer expiring contracts). That excludes players like Nicolas Claxton of the Brooklyn Nets, Tyus Jones of the Washington Wizards, James Harden of the LA Clippers and D'Angelo Russell of the Los Angeles Lakers.

Extensions before July can start at $16.7 million (140 percent of the estimated average player salary) or, if higher, 140 percent of the player's prior salary. They're also limited to a total of five years, including any pre-existing seasons (like the ending 2023-24 campaign).

Also, if a player was traded within six months of the June 30 deadline, their extension can only add two additional years, and the 140 percent climb is limited to 105 percent. That rule increases to three years and 120 percent in July, but that doesn't help some players that may want to extend in June.