New CBA Could Set Game Minimum to Qualify for Major Awards

The NBA might have a new way to ensure their star players stay on the court.

According to The Athletic’s Shams Charania, the NBA’s new Collective Bargaining Agreement could very well include a minimum number of regular season games needed to qualify for the league’s major awards. The NBPA is reportedly equally interested in such a stipulation.

“Top league and players union officials held a Competition Committee meeting on Friday to discuss an issue both sides are jointly motivated on: star players playing in more games, and staying healthy enough so that the NBA can display its best talent on a night-to-night basis,” Charania wrote. “Both sides are in agreement on tying major awards to games played over the course of the season, sources said, a possibility The Athletic’s Mike Vorkunov first reported on Feb. 14.

This is just the latest major topic to reportedly come up in CBA negotiations. We’ve also heard the contract could include fresh luxury tax tiers that incentive more teams to go above the tax, as well as a shrinking of the draft eligibility age. However, few things feel more important right now than motivating the NBA’s biggest names to take less time off.

Load management has become a major issue across the league. Night in and night out fans watch many of the NBA’s key draws hang on the bench in street clothes. While everyone can understand at least some level of precaution to keep players healthy for the postseason, it shouldn’t impact regular season basketball this significantly.

I’m extremely curious to see what number they land on. As Charania notes, the NBA already states that 58 games must be played to qualify for the scoring title. Would this be the number they extend to the rest of the awards? If so, is it enough?

I wouldn’t go as far as DeMar DeRozan did and say that the MVP should have to appear in 78 games. But I do think somewhere in the 60s would make a lot of sense. I’m just hoping the league doesn’t settle on an unreasonably low number just to say they did “something” about the problem.

Anyway, the two sides currently have until March 31 to agree upon a new deal, opt-out, or further extend the deadline. Talks have seemingly gone smoothly, so we’ll see if a new deal can be reached in the coming weeks.