NEWSLETTER
Deciding a start date for the 2020-21 season is a rollercoaster ride the league may not get off anytime soon.
While a December 22nd date gained traction with the league’s Board of Governors, the NBPA has yet to be convinced. ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported on Monday that the league told GMs that there is no timetable for the beginning of the 2020-21 campaign. Instead, the league is still in the midst of discussions with the NBPA, and the longer that drags on, the less likely the Board of Governors will get what it wants.
Sources: On the chances of getting an agreement for a Dec. 22 start to season — with training camps presumably needing to start within a month — Commissioner Adam Silver told teams today: "We're running out of time." https://t.co/07J7KKMy2y
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) November 2, 2020
According to Woj, Silver acknowledged the league is “running out of time” to get things ready for a pre-Christmas start. Training camps would have to begin toward the end of this month for games to begin around the holidays, which feels all too soon knowing that the draft and free agency still have to take place. It also doesn’t help that the league still has zero clue where it is financially. While these conversations have not been reported as contentious, it’s not surprising that they’re taking longer than expected to figure it out.
The NBPA's engaged with conversations with players on the issue of the start date of the season — December or January — and also continues to negotiate with the league on a number of financial amendments to the CBA needing resolution for start of 2020-2021 season, per sources.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) November 2, 2020
Remember, the league is fighting for a start date before the holiday season to potentially net anywhere between $500 million to $1 billion. With losses expected across the board again in 2020-21, they want to try to stockpile as much money as possible. The players, on the other hand, are pushing for a January 18th opening night (MLK Day). I’m sure many players recognize missing out on the extra cash could hurt the league as a whole, but it also might not be enough in their eyes to justify such a quick turnaround, especially one that could, once again, prove physically and mentally straining.
In addition to the potentially large sum of money the league will miss, a mid-January start could also mean players fail to conclude the season before the Olympics tip-off in the summer of 2021. For national and international NBA players alike, this is always viewed as a coveted opportunity. I suppose there is a world where players could still participate if the season started in January, but it would have to be thanks to a shortened and rushed season.
At the end of the day, we probably have to start preparing ourselves for a January tip-off. I suppose something could still happen in the coming days, but it’s hard to imagine when we consider everything that still has to be done before next season can begin.
