This article documents a current basketball season. Information may change as the event progresses.

2008–09 NBA season
League	National Basketball Association
Sport	Basketball
Duration	October 28, 2008 – April 15, 2009
TV partner/s	ABC, TNT, ESPN, NBA TV
Playoffs
Finals
NBA seasons < 2007-08 2009-10 >

The 2008–09 NBA season will be the 63rd season of the National Basketball Association. It will be the first NBA season since 1966-67 without a Seattle franchise, the SuperSonics having moved to Oklahoma City in July 2008, becoming the Oklahoma City Thunder. It will also be the first NBA season in which Oklahoma City will have a team all to itself (the New Orleans Hornets having split their home schedule with Oklahoma City during the 2005-06 and 2006-07 seasons following the effects of Hurricane Katrina on New Orleans). The Thunder will play at the Ford Center and will retain Seattle's franchise history while leaving the old nickname, logo, and colors in Seattle for possible future use.^[1]

The Phoenix Suns will host the 58th Annual All-Star Game on February 15, 2009. In addition, the Philadelphia 76ers will host the Chicago Bulls on March 13, 2009, but not at their regular home, the Wachovia Center. Instead, the game will be played at the Wachovia Spectrum, which will close in the summer of 2009. The Sixers left following the 1995-96 season to move to the former John F. Kennedy Stadium site.

Notable occurrences

• On June 26, 2008, the Milwaukee Bucks agreed to trade Bobby Simmons and Yi Jianlian to the New Jersey Nets for Richard Jefferson.^[2]

• On June 26, 2008, the Indiana Pacers agreed to trade Jerryd Bayless and Ike Diogu to the Portland Trail Blazers for Brandon Rush, Jarrett Jack, and Josh McRoberts.^[3]

• On June 26, 2008, the Indiana Pacers agreed to trade Jermaine O'Neal and Nathan Jawai to the Toronto Raptors for T. J. Ford, Rasho Nesterovič, Roy Hibbert, and Maceo Baston.^[4]

• On June 26, 2008, the Memphis Grizzlies agreed to trade Kevin Love, Mike Miller, Brian Cardinal and Jason Collins to the Minnesota Timberwolves for O. J. Mayo, Antoine Walker, Marko Jaric and Greg Buckner.^[5]

• On July 2, 2008, the city of Seattle and the Seattle SuperSonics reached a settlement that allowed the team to relocate to Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, retain the SuperSonics' players, coaches, and contracts, and "share" the SuperSonics' franchise history with a hypothetical future Seattle team. However, the SuperSonics name, colors, and logo will remain reserved for a future Seattle club.^[6]

• On July 23, 2008, restricted free agent Josh Childress signed with Euroleague club Olympiacos for three years and $20 million net (the biggest signing in Euroleague history), marking the first departure of an American-born player to Europe in the prime of his career. ^[7]

• On July 29, 2008, the Sacramento Kings agreed to trade Ron Artest to the Houston Rockets for Bobby Jackson, Donté Greene, and a 2009 first-round pick. The deal was completed on August 14, 2008.^[8]

Team standings

Standings as of July 1, 2008, 0000 UTC

Current NBA stats leaders

Salary cap

The NBA announced that the salary cap for the season would be $58.680 million, immediately going into effect on July 9 as the league's "moratorium period" had ended and teams could begin signing free agents and making trades.^[9]

The tax level for the season was set at $71.150 million, with each team paying a $1 tax for each $1 by which it exceeds $71.150 million. The mid-level exception was $5.585 million for the season and the minimum team salary, which was set at 75% of the salary cap, was $44.010 million.^[9]

For the 2007–08 season, the salary cap was set at $55.630 million (▲$3.05 million), the tax level was $67.865 million (▲$3.285 million) and the mid-level exception was $5.356 million (▲$229,000).^[9]

References