According to The Athletic’s Shams Charania, the NBA and NBPA have decided to remove the game limit for players currently on two-way contracts. For the Bulls, that means rookie guard Devon Dotson (whom the team recalled on Monday) and second-year guard Adam Mokoka can now be available for every game moving forward.
Sources: The NBA and NBPA are planning to eliminate the 50-game limit for two-way contract players this season and to allow two-way players to be eligible for the playoffs, pending Board approval.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) March 2, 2021
Before the season, the league agreed to mix-up a number of the normal restrictions on two-way players in hopes that it would give teams more flexibility in the midst of this complicated season. Under the previous rule, players on two-way contracts were allowed to spend only 45 days with their respective teams, and that included practice time. The league then changed the guidelines to a 50 game limit, increasing the amount of eligible time spent active on the bench and eliminating any restrictions on practice time with the NBA roster. Now, the latest decision basically makes a team’s two-way player a normal, very inexpensive part of the roster.
Considering that we have already seen several teams get slapped with positive tests and contact tracing, which has then forced them to postpone games due to lacking the necessary eight active players, this feels like the right move. I’m not quite sure how much this one change will really help the league avoid missed games in the future, but it definitely can’t hurt to have two additional roster spots open on a nightly basis.
It also can’t hurt to get guys like Dotson and Mokoka some more playing time.