50 Biggest NBA Offseason Changes You Need to Know About

With the NBA starting in just a few days, here is a list of 50 things that you should know so that you can keep up with the changes in the league. 

Some of these are league wide changes, some came because of the lockout, and some have to do with specific teams.

To make things a little bit easier, this article is split into three sections, league and rule changes, coaching changes and player changes.

For the sake of organization, the player changes are listed by the players added and lost for each team. 

Instead of picking a few key players, I put as many as possible in because I didn't want to leave anyone out. 

After reading this, you will be up to speed on the differences in the league this season and won't be caught talking about how players will do this year on their old teams.

66 Game Season

Due to the recent lockout, the NBA regular season will start on Christmas Day this year and each team will play a shortened season. 

Unable to squeeze the usual 82 games into the calendar, the league agreed to play and abbreviated 66-game schedule.

The league will still hold All-Star weekend in February, and a full playoffs will start after the season.  

Back-to-Back-to-Back Games

As part of the shortened schedule teams will have to play at least one set of back-to-back games, or three games in three consecutive nights. 

No team in the league is looking forward to this, and there are several that will struggle through them. 

Young teams will have a hard time with them playing so many games so quickly, and older teams will be very tired by the third night.

It will be interesting to see how teams fare on the third night, and may be an opportunity for other teams to pick up a victory.

Franchise for Sale

The NBA is the current owner of the New Orleans Hornets and would like nothing more than to sell the team.

While it may not be discussed, the franchise will play each game this season not only to win games in the league, but also to sell the product to potential investors. 

Hopefully, Eric Gordon, Trevor Ariza and Emeka Okafor can lead the this team to success.

Amnesty Clause

As part of the new Collective Bargaining Agreement that ended the lockout, teams agreed to a better version of the Amnesty Clause.

Under this provision, teams may use the clause one time during this collective bargaining period to dump the salary and contract of one player who has not lived up to expectations. 

The salary of the amnestied player will not count against the cap or the luxury tax. 

When a player is released, teams who are under the salary cap may submit offers to acquire this player. If no one submits an offer, the player will go through the waiver process and become a free agent for any team to sign.

Players Overseas

When the lockout started, many players looked at options to play basketball in other countries. 

Many of the players who signed contracts made sure that it contained a clause that allowed them to return to the NBA if the lockout ended. 

Unfortunately for some, they did not have a clause and they are stuck in a foreign country until later this season. 

According to sports-reference.com, these are the players who did not get an out clause.

Player Country     Last NBA Team

Hilton Armstrong	France	Hawks
Aaron Brooks	China	Suns
Rasual Butler	Spain	Bulls
Wilson Chandler	China	Nuggets
Joey Dorsey	Spain	Raptors
Chris Douglas-Roberts	Italy	Bucks
Dan Gadzuric	China	Nets
Mike Harris	China	Rockets
Eugene Jeter	Spain	Kings
Trey Johnson	Italy	Lakers
Nenad Krstic	Russia	Celtics
Acie Law	Serbia	Warriors
Kenyon Martin	China	Nuggets
Patrick Mills	China	Trail Blazers
Josh Powell	China	Hawks
Chris Quinn	Russia	Spurs
Mustafa Shakur	France	Wizards
J.R. Smith	China	Nuggets
Darius Songaila	Turkey	76ers
DaJuan Summers	Italy	Pistons
Garrett Temple	Italy	Bobcats
Sasha Vujacic	Turkey	Nets
Sonny Weems	Lithuania	Raptors

Minimum Salary Cap

Unlike previous seasons, NBA teams are now required to pay out a higher percentage of the salary cap to players.

Although it was rare to be far under the cap, teams were only required to pay players 75 percent of the total salary cap. 

Under the new agreement teams must pay out 85 percent of the cap in the first few years and 90 percent in later years.

This helps players to make more money and causes teams to find a better balance between salary and the luxury tax.

New Uniforms

According to ESPN Page 2, there will be several teams who have new uniforms this season. Most of them will be alternate jerseys, or worn for special occasions. 

The Sacramento Kings and the Miami Heat will both debut an all black jersey, the Utah Jazz return to their past with green alternates, the New Orleans Hornets will wear a Mardi Gras jersey and the Washington Wizards will show off jerseys reminiscent of the Washington Bullets. 

Out of all of the jersey changes, the biggest change is going to be the camouflage uniforms that the Toronto Raptors will wear on March 21 when they will honor the Canadian military.

The Schedule

Inside the 66-game schedule this season, each team will play 48 conference games and 18 non-conference. 

This means that there are not enough games for each team from opposing conferences to play each other both home and away. Instead, teams will play only three other teams from the other conference twice. 

Depending on how teams match up for the home and away, some teams may have a few more difficult games than others. 

The regular season will run from Christmas Day until April 26. The playoffs will start in late April with the Finals starting in June.

Rule Changes

Jump shooters who swing the ball into the outstretched arm of a defender to create contact will no longer get the benefit of a shooting foul call unless they have started a shooting motion. 

Instead, a non-shooting foul will be called.

Additionally, players driving to the basket will not receive a shooting foul unless they have started to shoot the ball. 

This will impact players who intentionally draw these types of fouls to get to the free throw line. 

Other rule changes this season:

Instant replay will only be used during full timeouts instead of 20-second timeouts.

Players not returning to the court within 15 seconds of the end of a timeout will get a delay of game warning. 

The eight-second backcourt violation will be called when the clock reaches 15 seconds instead of 16.

The Clippers Are Playoff Contenders

Yes, you read that right. 

The Los Angeles Clippers look to be a good team this season and could make the playoffs.

Judging from the history of the franchise this is a bit hard to believe, but the addition of Chris Paul and Chauncey Billups will help the team improve dramatically. 

Keep in mind that the Clippers also have Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan and signed Caron Butler as a free agent. 

With this lineup, it is possible the Clippers could be the better team in Los Angeles this year. 

Kevin McHale, Houston Rockets

Kevin McHale is the new head coach of the Houston Rockets. 

He previously coached two partial seasons with the Minnesota Timberwolves and has a career record of 39-55.

Mark Jackson, Golden State Warriors

Mark Jackson begins his first head coaching job this season as the man in charge of the Golden State Warriors. 

As a player, Jackson is third place on the all-time assists list in NBA history. His experience as a point guard should help out the young Warriors backcourt. 

Rick Adelman, Minnesota Timberwolves

Rick Adelman is the new head coach of the Minnesota Timberwolves.

He has been a head coach in the NBA since 1988 and has led four teams prior to this season. 

His career coaching record is 945-616 for a 60.5 percent win percentage. 

Adelman has led two teams to the NBA Finals, but did not win the championship on either occasion. 

Mike Brown, Los Angeles Lakers

Mike Brown takes over for Phil Jackson in Los Angeles and inherits a Lakers team with a lot of question marks. 

Brown previously coached the Cleveland Cavaliers for five seasons and was the head man while LeBron James was there. 

His overall coaching record stands at 272-138 for a 66 percent winning percentage.

Lawrence Frank, Detroit Pistons

Lawrence Frank spent most of the last seven seasons as the head coach of the New Jersey Nets. 

His overall coaching record is below .500 and he has 225 wins and 241 losses.

He takes over in Detroit, where he is going to have to teach the game to several young players with a lot of potential.

Dwane Casey, Toronto Raptors

Dwane Casey is the new head man for the Toronto Raptors, and he is already preaching defense. 

Casey previously spent a season and a half as the head coach of the Minnesota Timberwolves. 

His coaching record to this point is 53-69. Hopefully, he improves on that as he turns around a talented Raptors team.

Metta World Peace

The player formerly known as Ron Artest has officially and legally changed his name to Metta World Peace. 

It will be interesting to see him run up and down the court with his new last name on his jersey. 

Commentators will have fun, too, when they announce that World Peace is going to the line, or World Peace had fouled out. 

Jeff Green out for Season

The Boston Celtics Jeff Green will not be playing in the league this season due to health issues. 

Green will undergo heart surgery to repair an aortic aneurysm. 

Doctors have stated that the surgery will fix Green's heart condition and that he can make a full recovery and return to the league next season. 

Green will be missed by the Boston Celtics, and fans everywhere wish him a full and speedy recovery.

Retired Players

Several players retired at the end of last season and will not be playing in the league this year. 

The most notable is Shaquille O'Neal, who retired after a long career with the Magic, Lakers, Heat, Suns, Cavaliers and Celtics.

Other players who retired include:

Yao Ming

Zydrunas Ilgauskas

Brandon Roy

Peja Stojakovic

Antonio McDyess 

Amnestied Players

The following players were the first round of Amnesty Clause victims whose teams chose to release.

Several of these players have found a new team to play for. 

They include:

Chauncey Billups

Travis Outlaw

Gilbert Arenas

Baron Davis 

Brandon Roy

Charlie Bell

James Posey

Atlanta Hawks

Players added: Tracy McGrady, Vladimir Radmonovic, Jannero Pargo, Keith Benson, Magnum Rolle

Players lost: Damien Wilkins, Jamal Crawford

Boston Celtics

Players added: Marquis Daniels, Jeff Green, Chris Wilcox, Greg Stiesma, Sasha Pavlovic, Keyon Dooling, Brandon Bass, E'Twaun Moore, JaJaun Johnson

Players lost: Nenad Krstic, Troy Murphy, Glen Davis, Von Wafer, Delonte West

Charlotte Bobcats

Players added: Corey Maggette, Byron Mullens, Derrick Brown, Reggie Williams, Melvin Ely, Kemba Walker, Bismack Biyombo

Players lost: Stephen Jackson, Shaun Livingston, Kwame Brown, Dominic McGuire

Chicago Bulls

Players added: Richard Hamilton, Jimmy Butler, Malcolm Lee, Nikola Mirotic

Players lost: Rasual Butler, Kurt Thomas, Keith Bogans, Jannero Pargo

Cleveland Cavaliers

Players added: Omri Casspi, Kyrie Irving, Tristan Thompson

Players lost: J.J. Hickson, Joey Graham, Baron Davis

Dallas Mavericks

Players added: Lamar Odom, Andy Rautins, Brandan Wright, Drew Neitzel, Vince Carter, Delonte West, Jerome Randle

Players lost: Caron Butler, J.J. Barea, Peja Stojakovic, Tyson Chandler, Rudy Fernandez, Corey Brewer, Targuy Ngombo, Andy Rautins

Denver Nuggets

Players added: Nene, Andre Miller, Core Brewer, Rudy Fernandez, Michael Ruffin, Arron Afflalo, Kenneth Faried, Jordan Hamilon, Chukwudiebere Maduabum

Players lost: Raymond Felton, Melvin Ely, Gary Forbes

Detroit Pistons

Players added: Damien Wilkins, Jonas Jerebko, Tayshaun Prince, Rodney Stuckey, Brandon Knight, Vernon Macklin, Terrico White

Players lost: Chris Wilcox, Tracy McGrady, Richard Hamilton

Golden State Warriors

Players added: Brandon Rush, Dominic McGuire, Ish Smith, Kwame Brown, Charles Jenking, Gary Flowers, Chris Wright, Edwin Ubiles, Klay Thompson, Jeremy Tyler, Charles Jenkins

Players lost: Jeremy Lin, Charlie Bell, Louis Amundson, Vladimir Radmonovic, Brandan Wright, Reggie Williams

Houston Rockets

Players added: Jeremy Lin, Jonny Flynn, Marcus Morris, Nikola Mirotic, Chandler Parsons, Samuel Dalembert

Players lost: Chuck Hayes

Indiana Pacers

Players added: David West, Jeff Foster,  Jeff Pendergraph, Jarrid Famous, Tyren Johnson, Darnell Lazare, Matt Rogers, George Hill, Louis Amundson

Players lost: Mike Dunleavy, T.J. Ford, Josh McRoberts, Brandon Rush

Los Angeles Clippers

Players added: Chris Paul, Caron Butler, DeAndre Jordan, Chauncey Billups, Trey Thompkins, Travis Leslie

Players lost: Craig Smith, Al-Farouq Aminu, Eric Gordon, Chris Kaman

Los Angeles Lakers

Players added: Jason Kapono, Gerald Green, Malcolm Thomas, Josh McRoberts, Troy Murphy, Darius, Morris, Andrew Goudelock, Ater Majok

Players lost: Lamar Odom, Shannon Brown

Memphis Grizzlies

Players added: Marc Gasol, Jeremy Pargo, Josh Selby

Players lost: Shane Battier, Ish Smith

Miami Heat

Players added: Eddy Curry, Mario Chalmers, Juwan Howard, James Jones, Norris Cole, Shane Battier

Players lost: Jamaal Magloire, Mike Bibby

Miwaukee Bucks

Players added: Mike Dunleavy, Luc Mbah a Moute, Stephen Jackson, Shaun Livingston, Beno Udrih, Tobias Harris, Jon Leuer

Players lost: Corey Maggette, John Salmons, Keyon Dooling

Minnesota Timberwolves

Players added: Brad Miller, Robert Vaden, Bonzi Wells, Malcolm Lee, Derrick Williams, Ricky Rubio, J.J, Barea

Players lost: Sebastian Telfair, Lazar Hayward

New Jersey Nets

Players added: Shelden Williams, Ime Udoka, Shawne Williams, Kris Humphries, Mehmet Okur, Bojan Bogdanovic, Marshon  Brooks, Jordan Williams, DeShawn Stevenson

Players lost: Brandan Wright, Sasha Vujacic, Travis Outlaw

New Orleans Hornets

Players added: Carl Landry, Jason Smith, Al-Farouq Aminu, Eric Gordon, Chris Kaman

Players lost: Aaron Gray, David West, Chris Paul

New York Knicks

Players added: Tyson Chandler, Jared Jeffries, Mike Bibby, Jerome Jordan, Baron Davis, Iman Shumpert, Josh Harrellson

Players lost: Roger Mason Jr., Derrick Brown, Anthony Carter, Shelden Williams, Shawne Williams, Andy Rautins, Ronny Turiaf, Chauncey Billups

Oklahoma City Thunder

Players added: Reggie Jackson, Daequan Cook, Lazar Hayward

Players lost: Robert Vaden, Byron Mullens

Orlando Magic

Players added: Larry Hughes, Gabe Pruitt, Earl Clark, Glen Davis, Von Wafer, DeAndre Liggins, Justin Harrper

Players lost: Brandon Bass, Gilbert Arenas

Philadelphia 76ers

Players added: Tony Battie, Thaddeus Young, Lavoy Allen, Nikola Vucevic

Player lost: Jason Kapono

Phoenix Suns

Players added: Grant Hill, Sebastian Telfair, Shannon Brown, Ronnie Price, Marcus Landry, Markieff Morris

Players lost: Vince Carter, Zabian Dowdell, Mickael Pietrus

Portland Trailblazers

Players added: Greg Oden, Kurt Thomas, Jamal Crawford, Craig Smith, Nolan Smith, Jon Diebler, Tanguy Ngombo

Players lost: Rudy Fernandez, Andre Miller, Brandon Roy

Sacramento Kings

Players added: John Salmons, J.J. Hickson, Marcus Thornton. Lawrence Hill, Adrian Oliver, Travis Outlaw, Jimmer Fredette, Tyler Honeycutt, Isiah Thomas

Players lost: Marquis Daniels, Darnell Jackson, Eugene Jeter, Beno Udrih, Omri Casspi

San Antonion Spurs

Players added: T.J. Ford, Steve Novak, Kawhi Leonard, David Bertans, Cory Joseph, Adam Hanga

Players lost: George Hill, Antonio McDyess

Toronto Raptors

Players added: Jamaal Magloire, Rasual Butler, Anthony Carter, Aaron Gray, Gary Forbes, Jonas Valanciunas

Player lost: Sonny Weems

Utah Jazz

Players added: Earl Watson, Josh Howard, Enes Kanter, Alec Burks

Players lost: Mehmet Okur, Ronnie Price

Washington Wizards

Players added: Ronny Turiaf, Larry Owens, Maurice Evans, Nick Young, Jan Vesely, Chris Singleton, Shelvin Mack

Player lost: Josh Howard