Deadlines and Commitments - LXXVI

At midnight Tuesday, the Nets will be able to trade anyone on their roster for the first time all season. Players who receive 50 percent or greater salary increases like Brook Lopez and Kris Humphries are eligible to be traded for the first time on January 15. Now they can be dealt.

That's the big deadline, but there are other dates coming up. like All-Star Weekend when the Nets will find out if the 2014 mid-season classic will be played in Brooklyn as well as the February 21 trade deadline.

Here are the highlights:

January 15 -- Lopez and Humphries can be traded. Lopez is highly unlikely to be traded while Humphries represents the Nets biggest asset in a big trade. The Nets have to be careful how they use his $12 million salary because once it's used, the Nets salary structure would not permit them to make any sort of big deal without trading one of their so-called "Core Four."

January 23 - Next edition of "The Association: Brooklyn Nets." There will be a new, four-segment block beginning on January 23. The program will now reside on Wednesday nights at 6:30 p.m. So, the next four episodes will air on January 23 and 30, February 6 and 13.

January 23 - First 10-day contract for Damion James runs out. The Nets will have the option of signing him to a second 10-day or letting his contract lapse. Teams are not required to announce a decision to lapse. NBA 10-day contracts are for 10 days or three games, whichever is longer. Under terms of the CBA, teams can only sign players to two 10-day contracts. At the end of the second 10-day, which for James would be February 2, teams must either sign the player for the rest of year or let him go.

February 15-17 -- 2013 NBA All-Star (Houston). NBA will announce the site of the 2015 NBA All-Star Game. Brooklyn and New York are leading candidates. With owners and GM's all in one place, this is when trade talks intensify.

February 21 -- 2013 NBA Trade Deadline (3 p.m. ET). Also, the Nets two trade exceptions both valued at around $1.3 million and acquired in the Gerald Wallace trade, expire. They are unlikely be used because they are so small. They can be used in larger trades under certain circumstances, like where multi-player or multi-team deals are broken into pieces.

March 1 -- The so-called "second trade deadline." A player waived by today can still be eligible to play in the post-season. Players who want to play for a contender will often ask to be waived or bought out by March 1. The basic rule is that if a player isn't on an NBA roster --or waived-- March 1, teams can sign them and they'll be eligible for playoff rosters. Rosters are submitted to the league office one day after the regular season ends.

April 20 -- 2013 NBA Playoffs begin. They better be in them!

June 27 -- NBA Draft, site TBA, but likely Prudential Center. Nets have their own first round pick, but no second round pick. Last year, the Nets used $2.75 million of their $3 million cash limit to buy second round picks used to acquire Tyshawn Taylor and Tornike Shengelia. They'd like to keep some or all of this year's $3 million so they have flexibility on Draft Night.

June 30 -- Presumably, C.J. Watson must decide on his player option for 2013-14. If he opts in, he will be paid $1.1 million. Billy King's contract is up ... unless extended before then.

July 1 -- Andray Blatche, Jerry Stackhouse and Keith Bogans become unrestricted free agents.

• Humphries, Lopez can be traded Tuesday - Mike Mazzeo - ESPN New York