What are Bird rights?
An exception letting a team exceed the cap to re-sign its own free agent who's been on the roster ~3 seasons, up to his max. This is how expensive rosters keep their stars — and it's the one signing tool even second-apron teams keep. Renouncing a free agent forfeits it. (And yes — named after Larry.)
2023 CBA · Art. VII §6(b)
The three tiers
Where it decides real deals
Bird rights are why a capped-out team can hand its own star a max. They're also a constraint: when a player's Non-Bird 120% raise falls short of his market, the team may need cap room or an exception instead.
Common questions
Do Bird rights travel in a trade?
Yes — a traded player carries his Bird clock to the new team, which can then re-sign him over the cap.
What's a Bird cap hold?
Until re-signed or renounced, a free agent's Bird rights occupy cap room as a hold, so teams can't double-spend the same space.
See it enforced, not just explained.
Build a trade or signing and the sim rules on it, with the relevant citation when one applies.