After much talk about the 2020-21 season, it seems the NBA is finally coming to terms on a start date: December 2020.
(via ESPN)
The NBA’s board of governors and players’ association will hold separate meetings on Thursday expected to culminate with an agreement on starting the 2020-21 season on Dec. 22 and playing a reduced 72-game schedule, sources told ESPN.
The National Basketball Players Association is planning to take a formal vote of the team player representatives late Thursday, and sources told ESPN that everything is progressing toward an agreement on a pre-Christmas start to the season. The NBPA is holding team conference calls this week, including several on Wednesday, that detail discussions with the league on a salary escrow for players in the range of 18% for the next two years, sources told ESPN.
The 2019-20 campaign suffered an unprecedented setback as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. With a hiatus spanning months and an Orlando bubble playoff run that saw a dip in ratings, it has put the association in a tight spot as they try to make up ground financially.
The league recently told teams that 40% of basketball-related income could be lost without gate receipts this season, sources said. The NBA’s basketball-related income was down $1.5 billion last season, according to data provided to teams and obtained by ESPN.
A December 22nd start date not only ensures the NBA will have its annual Christmas Day games, but it also helps to ensure the league can return to a semi-normal timeline in the next few years to come.
Unfortunately, with just a little over a month until the projected tip-off day, it leaves a very small window for the offseason.
According to Woj, we can expect the official start date of the draft and free agency to also drop in the near future.
