NEWSLETTER
December basketball, baby!! On Thursday night, the NBPA approved the league’s proposal for a December 22nd start to the 2020-21 NBA season. The decision finally provides fans and teams alike with a clear offseason calendar – one that includes a free agency period that will begin shortly after the November 18th draft and a training camp that will start on December 1st.
The National Basketball Players Association has voted to tentatively approve NBA’s proposal for the 2020-21 campaign starting on Dec. 22 and playing 72-game season, sources tell @TheAthleticNBA @Stadium.
NBA set to tip off Christmas week.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) November 6, 2020
Dec. 22nd Start of the 2020-21 NBA Season
We learned Wednesday that this would be the direction the league would go despite calls for a January 18th start from players. The monetary gain, which could net the league between $500 million and $1 billion, seems to be the motivating factor behind the approval. The fact that this will also put the league back on a familiar schedule before the 2021-22 season doesn’t hurt.
According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowksi and The Athletic’s Shams Charania, the next step for the NBA will be to finalize financial terms and safety protocols. The hope would be that the former is done well in advance of draft night.
The NBPA player rep vote has completed, approving a December 22 start/72-game regular season, source tells ESPN. Next up: NBA/NBPA finishes financial terms on amended CBA, which will take into next week. Expect trade moratorium to be lifted shortly prior to Nov. 18 Draft.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) November 6, 2020
The NBA and NBPA will now work to finalize health and safety protocols for the 2020-21 season. Sides are discussing a 17-to-18 percent escrow of player salaries over the next two years — with the hope the withholding amount is down to normal 10 percent in 2022-23. https://t.co/fuv9otV3vl
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) November 6, 2020
Sources The NBA and NBPA are discussing a minimum of 2 percent annual growth in the salary cap and luxury tax for the duration of the collective bargaining agreement. Cap is expected to be $109M this offseason.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) November 6, 2020
Quick Turnaround
The league is about to enter an unprecedented offseason. While the logistics will remain the same, the speed at which they occur has never been seen before. Organizations will have to act very fast to get teams together and players prepared. As ESPN notes, 71 days between the end of the 2019-20 season and the start of the 2020-21 season will make for the shortest offseason in U.S. professional sports history.
If the NBA season begins on Dec. 22, there will have been just 71 days between the end of the 2019-20 season and the start of the 2020-21 season.
That would be the fewest days between the end of a season and the start of the next in NBA, MLB, NHL & NFL history. H/T @EliasSports
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) November 5, 2020
At the end of the day, though, teams should be more than prepared for the quick turnaround. Those that didn’t attend the bubble (like Chicago) and those that exited early have had time to go about their semi-regular offseason relaxation and preparation. So, let the games begin.
