How long must a player be with one team before the Larry Bird exception can be used?
The basic idea is that a player must play for the same team for three seasons for his team to gain Bird rights (two seasons for Early Bird rights). It can be a single three-year contract, a series of three one-year contracts, or any combination that adds up to three seasons (two for Early Bird). However there are a number of complications: • When a player is traded, his new team inherits his Bird rights. For example, if a player signs a three-year contract, plays two and a half seasons with that team, and is traded at the trade deadline in the third season, then his new team owns full Bird rights following the third season. • The player must complete his contract immediately prior to becoming a free agent, which essentially means he can’t have been waived. If he signs a series of contracts, then this only applies to the last contract. If a team signs a player and waives him after one game, signs and waives him after one game again the next year, and in the third year signs him and keep
Theoretically, a player with Bird rights can be traded at the trade deadline right before becoming a free agent and his new team can use the Bird exception to re-sign him. There is no specific tenure requirement with one team. The only rule is that the player can’t have been waived or changed teams as a free agent for three seasons. However, if a team renounces a player (see question number 33), they can’t use the Bird exception to re-sign him for one year.
