Thankfully, the Nets have all cleared from the league’s COVID health and safety protocols, Kessler Edwards being the last. The rest of the league isn’t so lucky. But soon, the league will be back to normal (holds breath, crosses fingers) and the trade season, delayed by all the players coming and going, will be back on.
The first date to watch is Wednesday. Will Kyrie Irving play his first game of the season in Indiana? Lots of hints that he will. We should have a bigger better hint of the way things are going in either Steve Nash’s media availability Monday at 10 a.m. or the Nets injury update for the Pacers game which will be released Tuesday at about 5:30 p.m.
So here ya go…
—January 5 – First game we can reasonably expect Kyrie Irving to return, vs. the Pacers in Indiana. After that, we’d have to wait a week until the Nets head to Chicago to play the Bulls on January 12. Irving, of course, cannot play in home games or games with the Knicks (two) and Raptors (one) because of local rules affecting unvaccinated players.
—January 5 – G League regular season starts up after Winter Showcase, delayed from December 24. Long Island Nets are scheduled to play the College Park Skyhawks at Nassau Coliseum.
—January 6 – Langston Galloway’s second 10-day hardship exception set to expire. Nets would have to open a roster spot to keep him.
—January 7 – DeAndre’ Bembry vets minimum contract fully guarantees as do all non-guaranteed and partially guaranteed deals. Same with David Duke Jr.’s two-way deal.
—January 8 – Shaquille Harrison’s second 10-day hardship exception set to expire. Nets would have to open a roster spot to keep him too.
—January 15 – No-trade restriction lifts on Bruce Brown. Brown must approve any trade.
—January 15 – WNBA free agency begins. Expect Sandy Brondello’s reported hiring as Liberty’s head coach to be confirmed by then.
—January 19 – NBA to determine whether COVID-19 hardship exception rules will continue.
—January 25 – Nets host Lakers at Barclays. 7:30 p.m. ET — exactly one month after the two squads went head-to-head on Christmas Day.
—January 29 – Kevin Durant returns to Golden State for the first time with fans in the stands. 8:30 p.m. ET. Warriors have promised to retire his jersey. Will it take place this night?
—February 8 – Ime Udoka, former Nets assistant, brings his Boston Celtics to Barclays Center for first time. 7:30 p.m. ET
—February 13 – Super Bowl … Big day for New York sports books which could be open in mid-January.
—February 18-20 – NBA All-Star 2022 (Cleveland, OH)
—February 22 – NBA trade deadline, 3:00 p.m. ET. Always expect action.
—March 1 – Playoff Eligibility Waiver Deadline aka the buyout deadline. Players waived or bought out after this date cannot play in post-season.
—April 2 – NBA G League Regular Season ends
—April 5 – NBA G League Playoffs begin
—April 10 – Regular season concludes vs. Pacers at Barclays Center. Luxury tax bill based on payroll at end of regular season.
—April 11 – Rosters set for NBA Playoffs 2022 (3:00 p.m. ET)
—April 11 – WNBA Draft. Liberty have the fifth and 29th picks.
—April 12-15 – NBA Play-In Tournament for teams finishing seventh through tenth seeds.
—April 16 – First round of NBA Playoffs begin.
—April 17 – WNBA training camps open.
—April 22 – WNBA preseason begins.
—May 2-3 – Conference Semifinals begin (possible move up to April 30/May 1)
—May 6 – WNBA season begins. New York Liberty schedule TBA.
—May 17 – NBA Draft Lottery 2022
—May 17-18 – Conference Finals begin (possible move up to May 15-16)
—June 2 – NBA Finals begin.
—June 19 – Game 7 of NBA Finals (if necessary)
—June 23 – NBA Draft. Nets currently have no picks in either round and no cash considerations to acquire picks.
—June 29 – Player option deadline for Patty Mills, James Harden and Kyrie Irving as well as qualifying offer deadline for David Duke Jr. and Nicolas Claxton.
—July 1 – Start of the 2022-23 free agency.
—July 5 – First day free agents can sign or re-sign.
—July 7 – Traditional date by which NBA teams must pay the luxury tax. Nets current tax bill is $110 million.
—July 10 – WNBA All-Star Game
—August 7 – The Nets $11.45 million Traded Player Exception generated by the Spencer Dinwiddie trade expires, one year after Dinwiddie trade to Washington. (Also $118,000 TPE generated by the Landry Shamet trade expires.)
—August 19 – The Nets $6.27 million Traded Player Exception generated by the DeAndre Jordan trade expires, one year after Jordan trade to Detroit.
—October 6 – The Nets $3.6 million Traded Player Exception generated by Sekou Doumbouya expires, one years after Doumbouya trade to Indiana.
—October 31 — Team options on Cam Thomas and Day’Ron Sharpe.
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