It’s officially set with the vote behind them — the NBA will start its 2020-21 NBA season on December 22nd, per multiple sources.
The league and the National Basketball Players Association (NBPA) have worked out a plan to play a 72-game season beginning on that date three days in advance of Christmas that will save up to $500 million in potential revenue for the league according to the Athletic’s Shams Charania.
It will also allow players to represent their home countries in the 2021 Tokyo Olympics with no overlap of season while allowing a return to a closer-to-traditional league season schedule.
The National Basketball Players Association has voted to tentatively approve NBA’s proposal for the 2020-21 campaign starting on Dec. 22 and playing 72-game season, sources tell @TheAthleticNBA @Stadium.
NBA set to tip off Christmas week.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) November 6, 2020
Free agency is expected to start soon after the draft to enable players to acclimate to their new teams if they change clubs in the period.
Perhaps as early as November 19th or 20th, with training camp set to begin on December 1st.
A plan to up player salary escrow — withheld to ensure a 50 – 50 split between team owners and players — to about 17 or 18% for the next two seasons to offset potential revenue loss is also expected.
The NBA and NBPA will now work to finalize health and safety protocols for the 2020-21 season. Sides are discussing a 17-to-18 percent escrow of player salaries over the next two years — with the hope the withholding amount is down to normal 10 percent in 2022-23. https://t.co/fuv9otV3vl
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) November 6, 2020
Safety protocols for the pandemic are still under review, but expected to move forward with daily testing among other precautions.
The salary cap for the coming season is expected to remain at $109 million; no word on the tax rate but Charania has previously reported that it is expected at about $132 million.
The trade moratorium is expected to be lifted on November 16th — two days before the draft.
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