Deadlines and Commitments - No. 142

On Monday, the Nets will open the second half of their season and ... crunch time. The Nets play Game 41 Saturday vs. the Bucks, the midway point in the NBA season. On Monday afternoon, they play the 76ers at home. The trade deadline is now 16 days away. So expect the Nets to be thinking about ways to improve the team before the playoff run.

There’s a lot happening, some of it pretty arcane. Here’s a helpful guide.

January 20 - NBA Two-Way contracts are guaranteed for the remainder of the season. The Nets have two newly signed two-ways: Chris Chiozza and Jeremiah Martin.

January 28 - WNBA can start negotiating free agent deals. Look for Joe Tsai to make commitments to the Liberty who finished dead last in the league last year and will need some star power for the Barclays Center debut. Players can be signed starting February 10.

February 5 - Last day that Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot can play on a 10-day deal. Nets signed him to a 10-day deal on January 16. It can be renewed for another 10 days on January 26. If the Nets don’t give him a standard contract at the end of his second 10-day, he will return to Long Island. Expect him to get a deal somewhere.

February 6 - NBA Trade Deadline (3 p.m. ET) The Nets have made deadline trades the last three years. In each case, Sean Marks helped another team with a salary dump, winding up with a first rounder and two seconds for his troubles.

February 11 - Rodions Kurucs is back in Brooklyn Criminal Court on domestic assault charges. Unless the charges are dismissed, a trial date will likely be set at the hearing.

February 14-16 - NBA All-Star 2020 (Chicago, IL) Which one of the Nets point guards will play? Kyrie Irving or Spencer Dinwiddie? Will anyone participate in the Skills Challenge? The Nets have had winners the last two All Star Games, Spencer Dinwiddie and Joe Harris.

February 27 - NBA G League Trade Deadline (3 p.m. ET)

March 1 - NBA Playoff Eligibility Waiver Deadline. The buyout deadline. Players who are not on an NBA roster by day’s end are eligible to sign with a team and play in post-season. There are a number of veteran players who are likely to be waived and bought out if they don’t get traded at the deadline, starting with Andre Igoudala.

March 28 - G League regular season ends.

March 31 - Earliest possible start date for G League Playoffs. Long Island is highly unlikely to make it.

April 12 - WNBA Draft. Joe Tsai’s New York Liberty has the overall No. 1 pick and is widely expected to take Sabrina Ionescu, the Oregon guard who is triple-double threat each time she steps on the court. Expect the Liberty to use her to market their return to the city ... and Barclays Center.

April 15 - NBA Regular Season ends. Playoff seedings set.

April 17 - Rosters set for NBA Playoffs 2020 (3 p.m. ET)

April 18 - NBA Playoffs 2020 begin.

May 17 - Home opener for the New York Liberty at Barclays Center vs. the L.A. Sparks. the Liberty return to New York City after two years in White Plains at the 90-year-old Westchester County Center. Expect a big marketing campaign after the WNBA Draft if not before.

May 19 - NBA Draft Lottery 2020 (Chicago). The Nets 2020 first rounder was sent to Atlanta in the Allen Crabbe salary dump. It’s lottery protected, meaning that if the Nets don’t make the playoffs, this will be the consolation prize. The Nets also have the 76ers’ lottery-protected first rounder.

June 25 - NBA Draft 2020 (Barclays Center). The Nets currently have the 19th and 57th picks.

July 1-6 — Free agency Moratorium Period (ends at noon ET on July 6)