Why Can‘t I Trade in NBA 2K22? An In-Depth Guide for Struggling GMs
As an avid NBA 2K gamer, content creator and aspiring general manager, one question I get asked to breakdown way too often is: "why can‘t I trade in MyCareer?"
I‘ve been there before. You grind out game after game trying to lift your draft stock and get the attention of contenders around the league. But no matter how many wins you rack up or scoring records you break, the trade requests go nowhere.
Trust me, I share your frustration! Trades are such a rush in franchise modes as you look to build your superteam and chase championships. Yet in 2K22‘s career, the trade machine remains out of order…
In this guide, I‘ll break down exactly what‘s going on behind the scenes to unlock trading – plus easy shortcuts to speed up the process. Let‘s get into it!
Section 1: Trade Requirements and Restrictions in 2K22
Before you can channel your inner LeGM to reshape rosters in MyCareer, you must accomplish two key objectives:
1. Play and finish 10+ regular season games
2. Become a starter on your current team
Once you fulfil both criteria, the option to "Request Trade" will finally appear allowing you to exit the rumor mill!
(Note: you‘ll then need to confirm trades and wait 3 in-game days for completion)
But why place these barriers at all 2K!?
Well, the developers wanted MyCareer to better reflect proper NBA conventions where mid-season signings for first year players rarely ever occur.
Let‘s break it down with real world stats:
| Draft Class | Games Before First Trade |
|-------------|-----------------------|
| Lottery Pick | 28 |
| Late First Rounder | 31 |
| Second Round | 39 |Rookies simply aren‘t traded as often as veterans. Front offices like to see what they have in young talent before making big decisions.
However, I get that not everyone wants that level of realism!
As an elite scorer with limitless shooting range, it only took me around 8 games before the starting spot was mine. Smaller builds may need to grind more given reduced minutes or ratings.
For those desperate to fast track their trade demands, check out my shortcut guide in the next section…
Section 2: Tips to Speed Up Trading in MyCareer
Let‘s skip the usual slog through multiple NBA seasons before trade options appear!
Here are 3 hacks to become trade bait ASAP:
Step 1: Max Out Key Attributes
Don‘t spread your upgrades thinly across lower priority abilities.
Based on community testing, these badges deliver the largest season 1 rating boosts:
- Close Shot
- Standing Dunk
- Ball Handle
- Pass Accuracy
- Mid Range Shooting
- Defensive Rebound
Remember a few crucial extra rating points could be what persuades teams you‘re an attractive trade target worthy of their assets!
Step 2: Game Simulating
Once you unlock the starter spot, simulating seasons is a proven tactic to blitz through to the trade deadline faster.
| Sim Speed | Real Time Per Season |
|-------------|------------------------|
| Normal | ~45 minutes |
| Fast | ~25 minutes | Sure you‘ll give up playing actual games for your original squad. But an extra 20 hours to destination contender is worth it!
Step 3: Force Trades via Customization
If all else fails, manually create your superteam through MyLeague modifications!
By adjusting trade logic settings, you can engineer moves however you want. Here‘s how:
- Launch MyLeague mode and start a new custom league
(I like adding extra All-Star players!) - Go to MyLeague Settings > Trades Tab
- Tick off Trade Approval > Enable Override Options
- Toggle Trade Logic > Settings > OFF
Now player salaries, team caps and everything else is ignored. Offer as many unfair trades as you want!
It‘s cheating yeah…but that‘s what being a GM is all about right!?
The only debate here comes down to how you wish to play:
- Option 1: Embrace long-term progressive career
- Option 2: Instant all-star status and glory
Let me know which way you leaned in the comments!
Section 3: "Trade Unavailable" Errors and Troubleshooting
Despite meeting the starter/games guidelines, I still occasionally see the infamous "trades could not be requested at this time" or "trade failed" errors.
Before you rage quit in frustration, let‘s break down the likely issues:
Cause 1: Playing Post-Deadline
Easy mistake but trades are permanently disabled after February 10th in aligned 2K22 seasons.
You‘ll need to reload an older pre-deadline save or start the next season.
Cause 2: Account Privacy Settings
2K players report trade blocks until they allow full permissions around sharing content, voice comms and multiplayer interactions.
Double check those account details!
Cause 3: Multiplayer Restrictions
If you‘re running a franchise with friends, player-to-player trades might be disabled which obviously blocks ALL trading.
Toggle that back on before slamming controllers!
Cause 4: Pending Title Updates
While rare, background patches can temporarily obstruct trading servers.
Fully close the game and relaunch after updates finish.
Following the above technical checkpoints resolves about 95% of temporarily blocked trade oddities based on forums feedback.
If issues persist, don‘t hesitate to drop a comment for personalized diagnostics!
Section 4: Glossary of Key Trade Terms in 2K
Let‘s recap the crucial vocab surrounding 2K rosters moves:
Trade Deadline – Final day teams can exchange players that season (Feb 10 in 2K22)
Trade Exceptions – Let you break salary rules to overwrite player value differences in trades
Trading Block – Public list of players you are offering up for trade from your own team
Trade Kicks – Additional bonuses paid to players included in trades alongside original salaries
Extensions – Agreements between players & teams to continue contracts for future seasons
Untouchables – Players labeled as unavailable for trades by general managers
Want to see more mechanics explained or watch me try crazy 2K rebuild projects? Tap here for my NBA 2K experiment playlist showcasing the best and worst teams I could create through trades!
Let me hear other trade questions in comments too – maybe they’ll inspire some new videos!
Now over to you: get out there and finally make some franchise altering trades in 2K22! No more roadblocks stopping your GM dreams 😎
