Proposing a trade
Compare the incoming and outgoing players, assets and payroll. The trade screen offers Propose trade and What would make this deal work? League phase, deadline and tradability can limit the action; an offer can still be refused.
Similar games · Management primer
Basketball GM: Your First League, from Roster to Backup
Create a team you can revisit. Read its roster and commitments, advance through the league phases, inspect trade and release decisions, and export the data you want to preserve.
A league continues after today's lineup
Basketball GM is a management simulation: you keep a team, work through its roster and contracts, and advance a league through seasons. It is a longer alternative to the NBA 82-0 game, where one five-player draft leads to a completed attempt.
For a first league, choose one manageable goal: improve the current team, begin a rebuild or develop players you want to retain. That goal helps you judge the roster before the first trade or free-agent decision.
Play Basketball GM
Take the front office. Build a league story.
Read what you control—and what you owe
| Inspect | Question before a move |
|---|---|
| Players and roles | Does the full roster cover the jobs needed for games? |
| Contract | What amount is attached to the player? |
| Exp | When does the displayed contract end? |
| Team Finances | Which payroll commitments and league limits apply here? |
Five players take the floor, but your management decisions affect a larger roster. A trade should be judged against the whole group and the commitments it leaves, especially if your aim is to rebuild.
Use Play with the current phase in mind
The green Play menu offers actions for the phase your league has reached. Look at that phase before advancing. Moving into a new phase can bring a different decision, not just another game.
- PreseasonPlayers age and develop.
- Regular seasonAdvance games at your chosen pace.
- PlayoffsQualifying teams progress toward a champion.
- Draft lotteryThe draft order is established.
- DraftSelect incoming young players.
- Re-sign playersAddress expiring contracts before free agency.
- Free agencyConsider available players and the roster you retain.
Three moves that deserve a second look
Releasing a player
In the usual soft-cap setup, releasing a player generally leaves a guaranteed contract on your books until expiry. A rookie released before the regular season is a special case. Inspect the contract and league rules before treating release as financial relief.
Reading potential
Potential is a scouting estimate of a player's possible development, rather than a guaranteed future overall rating. Compare it with current ability, age, the team's needs and the time you are willing to give the player.
Back up the data you actually want to keep
Leagues live in the browser context running the game. Signing into an account does not automatically move league files to cloud storage. Before moving devices or clearing stored data, use Tools → Export League.
- Inspect the export categories.
A partial export can omit data. Check Players, Teams, League settings and Game state, plus other information you want to retain. The default selection omits box scores, and a previous selection can be remembered.
- Keep the downloaded file.
Store it outside the browser's league data. Choose All when you want all available export categories, including the box scores the league still has.
- Check the transfer.
Create a league from the exported file in the destination browser context. Confirm the intended team, roster and league state before treating the move as complete.
More Similar Games
20-0 Football
Try football offers with separate offensive and defensive allowances.
82-0 Hockey
Complete a six-slot hockey roster and inspect its season return.
38-0 Soccer
Fill a formation before counting soccer wins, draws and losses.
Use the homepage for a short NBA draft, or keep your league and return to its next management decision.
Play on the homepage →