Glossary of Hoops Rumors: Bird Rights

Glossary of Hoops Rumors: Bird Rights

The NBA’s Collective Bargaining Agreement contains a clause known as the “Bird exception,” named after Larry Bird, which permits teams to exceed the pay ceiling in order to resign their own players. “Bird rights” are the rights granted to a player who meets the requirements for the Bird exemption, officially known as a Qualifying Veteran Free Agent.

Playing for the same team for at least three seasons, either on a long-term contract or on separate one- or two-year contracts, is the most basic way for a player to acquire Bird rights. There are yet other requirements. In certain situations, a player is still entitled to use his Bird rights:

1. He trades to a different team.

 

For example, even though the Thunder only acquired Gordon Hayward in February, they will still own his Bird rights when he hits free agency this year. When he was dealt from Charlotte to Oklahoma City, his Bird clock did not reset.

 

2. After only signing for a portion of the team’s first season, he completes his third season with them.

 

In the second half of the 2021–2022 season, Haywood Highsmith was signed by the Heat, who added him to their roster in March 2022. Despite not playing three full seasons with Miami, Highsmith will still have Bird rights when his contract expires this offseason since his one-year stint in ’21–’22 began his Bird clock.

 

3. In years one or two, he signed a full-season contract (rather than a 10-day agreement), but the team waived him. He then cleared waivers, didn’t sign with another team, and eventually re-signed with the team, staying under contract for a third season.

Although this one might be a little unclear, let’s use Christian Koloko, a former big man for the Raptors, as an example. Koloko was waived by the team in January following his time with Toronto during the 2022–2023 season and his initial appearance on the squad for the 23–24 season. His Bird clock would resume in July if the Raptors were to re-sign him without him signing with another team in the interim. In the summer of 2025, he would obtain full Bird rights because he would have

played for Toronto for all or a portion of the previous three seasons, without switching teams in between.

It’s important to note that, even if the Raptors may resign Koloko to extend his Bird clock, they would need to employ cap space or another exception in order to add him to their squad this offseason. When he returns under contract, only then will his Bird clock start over again.