Every time NBA free agency season comes around, fans of every team get giddy with excitement. As soon as the calendar flips to July, teams start snapping up UFA’s (unrestricted free agents) with great speed. Every fan wants their team to sign the most glamorous superstar or the best young player. What many fans fail to realize is that there is another, less used avenue teams can explore: sign-and-trade deals. A sign-and-trade deal can be defined quite easily:
Team A wants Player X, but doesn’t want to – or can’t – pay for him straight up. Team B knows they are going to lose Player X, so instead of letting him walk in free agency, they make a trade with Team A in order to get something in return.