Verbal agreements in NBA free agency usually start showing up immediately when the negotiation window opens, often within the first few hours and especially around the first day, even though contracts can’t technically be signed until later. This year’s reporting suggests that some of the biggest names could have verbal deals any minute before free agency officially opens or right as it begins.

What that means in practice

  • Teams and agents often reach the informal “we have a deal” stage before the signing date.
  • Reports of those verbal agreements tend to surface in a burst right at the opening of the free-agency period.
  • The actual paperwork comes later, but the early headlines usually arrive fast once the window opens.

Why it happens

NBA free agency has a short, highly monitored negotiation window, so insiders often hear about deals as soon as talks get serious. That’s why you’ll usually see rumors, “close to a deal” updates, and then verbal agreement reports all clustered together around the start of free agency.

Current signal

For this cycle, league reporting says verbal agreements on at least some notable deals could happen before Tuesday at 6 PM ET, when free agency formally opens, or very soon after that point. In other words, the first wave is likely to be immediate rather than delayed.

TL;DR

Expect verbal agreements to start appearing right at the opening of free agency, or even just before it , with the busiest stretch usually in the first day.