HOW LONG MUST A PLAYER BE WITH A TEAM BEFORE THE LARRY BIRD EXCEPTION APPLIES?
Three years. However, when a player is traded, his Larry Bird Exception status is traded with him. Basically what this means is that the Larry Bird Exception applies to a player if he has been in the league for the last three years without changing teams as a free agent. 4. DOES THE LARRY BIRD EXCEPTION MEAN THE FREE AGENT CAN BE SIGNED AND NOT COUNT AGAINST THE CAP? No. It simply means that the free agent can be signed despite the cap. It still counts against the cap, and if it puts the team at or over the cap, then the team has no cap room left. 5. CONSIDER A PLAYER WHOSE CONTRACT HAS JUST EXPIRED. HE HAS NOT YET BEEN SIGNED TO A NEW CONTRACT. DOES HE COUNT AGAINST THE CAP? Yes, unless his team renounces its rights to him. 6. OKAY, SO HE COUNTS AGAINST THE CAP. BUT HE DOESN’T HAVE A CONTRACT– SO HOW MUCH DOES HE COUNT? 150% of his previous year’s salary, if that salary was below or at the league average; or 200% of his previous year’s salary, if that salary was above the league aver
