What Are the Rules on Trades During the NBA Draft?

During the NBA draft, there are lots of trades happening, but also some particular rules that impact how they go down and when they become official.

There's almost always a guarantee that at least one trade will go down during the NBA draft.

It's a great time for teams who are rebuilding to make a major move to catalyze the process or for contenders to acquire the player who could take them over the top or for middle of the road teams to bring in a big name or for any team to set itself up financially to be in an even better spot for when free agency starts.

When it comes to trading draft pocks though, there are some specific rules that teams have to adhere to that can make things a bit confusing for a moment.

Teams have until 2 p.m. ET on draft day to swap picks. After that point, teams can still make trades around draft picks, but the teams involved cannot switch picks, they can only trade the players' rights after each player involved is drafted.

So, if two teams wanted to switch picks but couldn't get a deal done before the deadline, each team would have to select players with the picks it had going into the draft, and then the players are traded for each other. Similarly, if a team is trading for a veteran player, it has to draft a player, and then trade the player's rights instead of just trading the pick.

All official trades will be announced during the draft by the NBA once they are completed. If the trade is not finalized until after the draft, the teams will announce it themselves whenever they decide.