Between the LeBron James guessing games and the Kawhi Leonard trade talk Ondrej Palat Jersey , it seems NBA shopping season is well underway.

It’s actually just about to start.

Terms like salary caps and contract options have been in the news for weeks, so fans might have an understanding of what they all mean. For those who don’t, here’s an attempt to explain how this all works.

Q: When does free agency start?

A: It begins at 12:01 a.m. EDT on July 1. So that’s early Sunday morning for teams in the East, but Magic Johnson and the Lakers can actually start their recruiting on Saturday night.

Q: When can deals start happening?

A: Players and teams can agree to contracts immediately, but except for some limited exceptions, such as rookies inking their initial contracts, nothing can be signed until after the free agency moratorium period ends, which is noon EDT on July 6.

Q: How is the salary cap determined?

A: It’s basically a formula based on basketball revenues. Last season’s was $99.1 million, and this year’s will be announced Saturday.

Q: Why is James a free agent when he had a contract for next season?

A: His $35.6 million salary for 2018-19 was a player option. He chose not to take it and became a free agent instead . Same thing with Paul George, who opted for free agency instead of the $20.7 million he was due in Oklahoma City next season, and Kevin Durant, with an option for $26.3 million in 2018-19.

Q: Does any team have a chance to sign them?

A: Not really. Teams either need to be under the salary cap, or use some of the various exceptions that allow teams to exceed it (for example Tyler Johnson Jersey , to re-sign their own veteran free agents). There are exceptions allowing teams to spend even if they are over the cap, or above the luxury tax line, but those are not big enough to afford a top-level player.

Q: Any other ways for players to become free agents before their contract expires?

A: Yes, sometimes they have an early termination option. Carmelo Anthony could have gone that route, but decided to keep his contract, which plays him $27.9 million next season, intact.

Q: Besides James and George, who are other big-name free agents?

A: Chris Paul, DeMarcus Cousins, Isaiah Thomas, Tony Parker, J.J. Redick and Derrick Favors are all unrestricted options that could draw interest. There are also players such as Jabari Parker, Aaron Gordon Authentic Gustav Nyquist Jersey , Zach LaVine and Marcus Smart, but they are restricted free agents and their current teams would be allowed to match any offers they receive and keep them.

Q: Are most teams far enough under the salary cap to really improve themselves?

A: No, there are many more that are already over it or up against it. But the Lakers have slashed enough payroll to position themselves to afford James and another maximum-salary player.

Q: How far over the cap can teams go?

A: Depends on how much they’re willing to pay for it. There is a tax line (last year at about $119.3 million) and teams begin incurring a penalty once they reach that. It gets pretty severe depending on how far and how many years in a row they are over it.

Q: How does Leonard fit into all this?

A: He’s under contract two more seasons but apparently doesn’t want to wait for free agency, telling the San Antonio Spurs he wants to be traded even though he could cash in big by waiting and re-signing there. Teams that can’t afford a marquee free agent can try to entice the Spurs with a trade package for the 2014 NBA Finals MVP.

Q: Will things settle down once most of the signings are finished?

A: Not entirely. Though deals can start to be finalized on July 6, that doesn’t mean free agency will end when the moratorium period ends. And talks never really stop in the NBA offseason. Last year it was Kyrie Irving asking to be traded from Cleveland and the Knicks trying to move Anthony that lasted deep into the summer, so count on something coming up.

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Russ Brandon abruptly resigned his dual role as president of the NFL’s Buffalo Bills and NHL’s Buffalo Sabres after being confronted by the teams’ owners regarding an alleged inappropriate relationship with a female employee, two people with direct knowledge of the situation told The Associated Press.

The people spoke on the condition of anonymity because it is an internal matter, and owners Terry and Kim Pegula did not provide a reason for accepting Brandon’s resignation in a statement they released Tuesday.

The relationship in question first became apparent to a number of team employees during the Sabres’ visit to New York for a game against the Rangers on Jan. 18, the people said. The trip included the team hosting a fan event at a bar the day before the game.

Kim Pegula will take over Brandon’s roles overseeing the Bills, Sabres and Pegula Sports Entertainment, the company which controls the owners’ numerous holdings.

In a text to The AP, Brandon said he has contemplated stepping down from the job for some time, and felt the timing was right after the conclusion of the NFL draft.

”My goal when the Pegulas purchased the franchise was to reach 20 years with the Bills Patrick Roy Jersey , in which I achieved this past November,” Brandon wrote.

”As grateful as I am for the amazing experience and the incredible people I’ve had the privilege to work with the past two decades, I am just as anxious for the professional opportunities that lie ahead,” he added.

Brandon did not respond to follow-up questions regarding his relationship.

Brandon’s departure comes after the Bills made a big splash in the first round of the draft by trading up to select both Wyoming quarterback Josh Allen with the seventh pick, and Virginia Tech linebacker Tremaine Edmunds with the 16th pick. The new additions join a Bills team that went 9-7 and ended a 17-year playoff drought last season.

On Saturday, the last-place Sabres earned a boost by winning the NHL draft lottery and the right to the No. 1 pick for the third time in franchise history.

”We have a tremendous amount of confidence in the strong leadership team we have built within each of these entities over the last several years,” the statement from the Pegulas read.

”We are excited about the direction of our teams, especially after this past weekend’s NFL draft and NHL lottery results. Our focus remains on building championship teams on and off the field for our fans and community.”

Brandon most recently served as the Bills’ managing partner, was the Sabres alternate on the NHL’s board of governors and a member of the NFL’s business ventures committee.

The timing of Brandon’s exit comes at a time he was supposed to oversee the Bills’ next big venture in determining their future home. Brandon was expected to lead the team’s stadium search committee in deciding whether the Bills should continue playing at their current home or develop a new facility in downtown Buffalo.

He served in various roles with the Bills, involving both marketing and football decisions during a two-year stint as general manager from 2008-09.

He also took the lead in negotiating the Bills’ most recent lease five years ago, which played a critical role in securing the franchise’s long-term future in Buffalo especially following Hall of Fame owner Ralph Wilson’s death in March 2014.

The lease included a strict non-relocation clause that included a $400 million penalty the team would be forced to pay if it considered moving before 2020.

Brandon also oversaw the Bills’ eventual sale to the Pegulas, who completed their $1.4 billion purchase of the franchise in October 2014.

The Pegulas retained Brandon and elevated him to the role of managing partner. The Pegulas thought so highly of Brandon, the Sabres were added to his responsibilities after the team reached a mutual agreement to part ways with Ted Black in July 2015.

Brandon’s resignation continues a large turnover of Bills executives who served under Wilson. Bruce Popko is the senior holdover and now becomes the top executive as chief operating officer of Buffalo-based Pegula Sports and Entertainment Anthony Mantha Jersey , which oversees the Pegulas’ numerous holdings.

Brandon grew up in nearby Syracuse, New York, and began making his mark in Buffalo shortly after being hired by the Bills in 1997 to serve as the team’s business development and marketing director.

He began by spearheading a campaign to transform them into a regional team by expanding the franchise’s fan base to offset Buffalo’s dropping population base.

That process began in 2000, when the team shifted training camp to Brandon’s alma mater, St. John Fisher College in suburban Rochester, to capitalize on the community’s corporate and larger population base.

Later, the Bills boosted their presence across southern Ontario by negotiating a deal to begin playing annual regular-season games in Toronto starting in 2008. The ”Bills In Toronto” series lasted through 2013 before the deal was placed on hold the following year and then terminated by the Pegulas.

Toronto-based media giant, Rogers Communications, paid the Bills $78 million to essentially lease eight games (five regular season and three preseason) during the initial five-year agreement. The price was almost double what the Bills were projected to generate if those games were played at their home facility.

The series also spurred a large bump in season-ticket purchases from across the border. By 2015, the Bills estimated southern Ontario fans accounted for about 18 percent of their season-ticke Authentic New York Giants Jerseys