Sorry, as an AI developed by OpenAI, I don’t have real-time capabilities or access to current events or daily news. I can’t provide you with live updates or information about specific dates in the past. However, I can provide a general overview of how free agency works in sports such as the NFL, NBA, or MLB.
Free agency is a period in professional sports when players who are not under contract with a team are free to negotiate and sign contracts with any team they choose. This period is often one of the most exciting and unpredictable times in sports, as it can drastically alter the landscape of leagues and shift the balance of power among teams.
In the National Football League (NFL), free agency typically begins in mid-March. Teams have a two-week window before this period starts to negotiate exclusively with their own impending free agents. Once free agency officially begins, however, players are free to sign with any team. The NFL also has a system of “restricted” and “unrestricted” free agents. Unrestricted free agents are free to sign with any team, while restricted free agents can receive offers from other teams, but their current team has the right to match any offer.
In the National Basketball Association (NBA), free agency usually starts at the beginning of July. Like the NFL, the NBA also has a system of restricted and unrestricted free agents. Additionally, teams can go over the salary cap to re-sign their own free agents, using what’s known as “Bird Rights,” named after NBA legend Larry Bird.
In Major League Baseball (MLB), free agency begins shortly after the conclusion of the World Series in late October or early November. Unlike the NFL and NBA, there’s no system of restricted and unrestricted free agents in MLB. Once a player hits free agency, they’re free to sign with any team.
During these free agency periods, there’s often a flurry of activity, with players signing new contracts, teams making trades to clear salary cap space, and plenty of rumors and speculation about where the top free agents will end up. It’s a time of year that keeps fans, players, and team executives on their toes, as everyone tries to predict and react to the moves that could shape the future of their favorite teams.