What is a Bird free agent in NBA? Taking a closer look

The 2023 NBA Free Agency is just around the corner. The free agency period will begin on Friday, June 30th, 2023, at 6 pm ET. Players and teams can negotiate deals, which will be officially signed after July 6th, 12:01 am ET.

The free agency seems simple business at first glance and easy to understand. However, some exceptions come into play. One term that often seems a bit confusing is the "Bird" exception, named after NBA legend Larry Bird.

Without further ado, we break down what a Bird free agent means and how it impacts negotiations. Bird rights are among the 11 salary cap exceptions that allow teams to exceed the salary cap to sign their own free agents. Players who have played for some or all of each of the last three consecutive seasons for a team become Bird-free agents.

In this scenario, the team that owns their Bird rights can offer them the maximum player salary starting from the first year of their new contract. A traded player is also eligible for the deal if his contract doesn't get waived in his second or third year of the contract. To become a Bird free agent, he has to be assigned by the NBA's waiver procedures in the first of his three years with the team.

Kyrie Irving, Draymond Green, Khris Middleton, Fred VanVleet and Brook Lopez are among the top Bird free agents this summer.

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Bird rights give teams the best shot at re-signing their own players in NBA Free Agency

Players have the right to decide their landing spot in NBA Free Agency if they are unrestricted free agents. That makes it trickier for teams that wish to re-sign their own free agents. The Bird rights make things simple in that regard as they appear to have the best shot at offering more money and keeping their stars.

That's what offers teams about to exceed their cap the luxury to offer their superstars' max contracts for four or five years without any restrictions. The Philadelphia 76ers could benefit from that in their pursuit of re-signing James Harden if he opts out of his $36 million player option.

They will have his Bird rights, giving themselves the flexibility to offer him a max contract. The Dallas Mavericks will also hold that edge with Kyrie Irving, who is already an unrestricted free agent.

Both players could receive a hefty offer elsewhere too, but their Bird rights make it easier for their respective franchises to re-sign them.