The NBA is already looking for the start date of the 2020/21 season, with December looking like the favorite month to restart everything. The league would make some changes, including a 72-game calendar without the All-Star weekend to try to bring things back to normal. Yet, this may be a problem for the teams that will have to maneuver to get players signed, coaches and put together a camp before the league starts.
This won’t be easy and the discontent is getting bigger around the NBA community. Keith Smith of Yahoo Sports recently revealed that some teams and players are desperate to know the timeline of free agency, training camp and more to be 100% sure about their next steps.
Some of these people actually claimed that some free agents already agreed with their next teams and only wait until the free market arrives to announce their decision.
This goes beyond the regular "tampering" because so many are trying to get a jump on next season, knowing games will likely start within a month or so of the draft and 3-4 weeks from the opening of free agency.
Teams want an even playing field with direction from the NBA.
— Keith Smith (@KeithSmithNBA) October 26, 2020
Beyond teams, agents are also feeling pressure. Players who are free agents would like answers. Fringe NBA players see that almost all of the highest paying overseas jobs are gone.
The NBA (all parties involved) is trying to thread a needle through a very small hole here. https://t.co/9aSDauQf72
— Keith Smith (@KeithSmithNBA) October 26, 2020
Moreover, coaches will have a difficult time trying to polish their figures and assemble their desired team under these circusmtances.
In addition, there is also some unrest from coaches. One NBA assistant told me "Our head coach said we need to be prepared to change everything on the fly. We could start camp without a couple of key players, because free agency is still happening. No time to build a system."
— Keith Smith (@KeithSmithNBA) October 26, 2020
Last thing on the uncertainty of the NBA offseason: A team exec said "I never say this, I mean never, but I'm glad we don't have cap space this year. It's a mess. We'll make some moves, but I can't imagine trying to build an entire roster in two weeks. Your coach will hate you."
— Keith Smith (@KeithSmithNBA) October 26, 2020
The league has a short period to put the 2020/21 season together and make it work as they did with the bubble in Orlando. However, not everybody is high on this give the short time they’ll have to prepare for the next season.
