How The 2016 Offseason Broke NBA Free Agency For Good
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- Sports Money How The 2016 Offseason Broke NBA Free Agency For Good By Bryan Toporek,
- Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights.
- Haffey/Getty Images)Getty ImagesNBA free agency officially opened at 6 p.m.
Sports Money How The 2016 Offseason Broke NBA Free Agency For Good By Bryan Toporek,
Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. Bryan Toporek covers the NBA for Forbes Sports.Follow Author Jul 01, 2026, 06:00am EDT--:-- / --:--This voice experience is generated by AI. Learn more.This voice experience is generated by AI. Learn more.Summary. This summer marks 10 years since the NBA's wildest free agency, which also signaled a permanent shift. In 2016, the NBPA rejected "smoothing" a massive salary cap increase, causing an unprecedented jump from $70M to $94.1M. Commissioner Adam Silver warned of unintended consequences, soon realized when Kevin Durant joined the Warriors, forming a superteam. Other teams signed players to regrettable max contracts after missing out on Durant. Subsequent CBAs introduced "supermax" deals and increased extension limits, encouraging players to re-sign or force trades. The 2023 CBA's second luxury-tax apron further deterred big free-agent signings. Consequently, star free agency is now rare, replaced by "pre-agency" where teams acquire talent via trades, fundamentally altering player movement.
LOS ANGELES, CA - NOVEMBER 08: Timofey Mozgov #20 and Luol Deng #9 of the Los Angeles Lakers box out Andrew Bogut #6 of the Dallas Mavericks during the first half of a game at Staples Center on November 8, 2016 in Los Angeles, California.NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)Getty ImagesNBA free agency officially opened at 6 p.m. ET Tuesday, but you’d be forgiven if you weren’t aware. After a week’s worth of trade fireworks—Giannis Antetokounmpo, LaMelo Ball and Kawhi Leonard are all on the move, among others—teams didn’t rush into a free-agent spending spree.