NBA 2020-21: Season to start on December 22 with 72-game plan, free agency negotiations from November 20
The news is official. The NBA will return on December 22. The NBA and the National Basketball Players Association (NBPA) announced on Monday, November 9, night that they have come to an agreement on rules for the new season. The teams will play a 72-game schedule which will be released in the coming weeks, an AP report said. The league also added a new system will be in place to make sure the income continues. This was a key topic discussed with the union.
According to the official NBA site, the following have been agreed in principle:
(i) The 2020-21 season will begin on Tuesday, December 22.
(ii) The 2020-21 season will feature each team playing a 72-game schedule. The full regular-season and broadcast schedules will be released at a future date.
(iii) A new system will be used to ensure the parties’ agreed-upon split of basketball-related income (BRI). In the event, player compensation were to exceed the players’ designated share in any season, necessary salary reductions beyond the standard 10 percent escrow would be spread across that season and potentially the following two seasons, subject to a maximum salary reduction in any season of 20 percent.
(iv) For the 2020-21 season, the salary cap will be $109.140 million and the tax level will be $132.627 million. In subsequent seasons of the CBA, the salary cap and tax level will increase by a minimum of three percent and a maximum of 10 percent over the prior season. Teams’ tax payments will be reduced in proportion to any BRI decreases.
(v) Free agent negotiations will begin on Friday, November 20, at 6 pm (ET) with signings starting at 12.01 pm (ET) on Sunday, November 22.
This would mean the Western Conference winners and NBA 2019-20 reigning champs, the Los Angeles Lakers will have the shortest offseason in the history of the NBA. The same applies to the runners-up, the Miami Heat. For teams such as Atlanta, Chicago, Cleveland, Charlotte, Golden State, Minnesota, New York and Detroit, the break has been a pretty long one not having played since the second week of March.
Watch this space for updates.