The NBA will target March 25th for the trade deadline of the 2020-21 season’s calendar, according to The Athletic’s Shams Charania, pending approval by the league’s board of governors.
The date has particular significance for the Boston Celtics now that they have a massive, $28.5 million trade exception — the NBA’s largest in its seven-decade history — after dealing veteran forward Gordon Hayward to the Charlotte Hornets in November.
While the utility of the exception will extend into the early days of the 2021-22 season, the team’s best shot at finding the sort of talent it wants on its roster for a deep playoff run may be at their peak as teams drop out of the playoff hunt later in the season.