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As ESPN’s Tony Kornheiser put it when asked about the news that the NBA is planning a restart on December 22 … “That’s in an hour!”
Maybe not an hour, but much faster than most experts and fans thought. Such a fast-paced schedule would also mean a quick offseason, with the draft on Nov. 18, free agency starting a week later, and then an almost immediate start to training camp … which would have to be shortened.
Of course, nothing is resolved and next Friday’s Board of Governors meeting is the likely deadline to secure things. A great incentive for the league. is reportedly that a late December start, to include the traditional Christmas Day show on ABC, would mean an additional $ 500 million in revenue compared to a later start around Martin Luther King Day on January 18 or later.
According to various reports from ESPN, The Athletic, and The Ringer, among others, here is the general outline of the proposed plan …
—First things first, the NBA and the NBPA, the players union, will have to agree to modifications to the Collective Bargaining Agreement that will take into account various revenue scenarios. Adam Silver has told the union that it will be approximately eight weeks between an agreement between the two parties and the formal start of next season. A new salary cap and a luxury tax threshold should be established.
—The season would be 72 games but with an entry tournament like the seeded games in the Orlando “bubble”. There will likely be no All-Star Game or All-Star Weekend in Indianapolis as planned, sources said. The league is considering a two-week hiatus mid-season.
—Owners want to avoid “bubbles” and get their teams back home. They are reportedly considering baseball-style series in which teams play each other multiple times in one venue to limit travel and the chance of infection. The problem with the formats adopted by the MLB and the NFL is that it leads to random cancellations and rescheduling.
—At least initially, there would be no fans in the 29 NBA venues. Most of the 22 jurisdictions that govern stadiums still do not allow more than 500 fans at an event. The NBA was able to get around that in Orlando with the “bubble” format, but that was for a defined time with a defined area. If the virus begins to wane with the wide availability of vaccines that is not likely until the second quarter, that is, March 31, it is not known when, if ever, fans will be able to take seats. Currently, the opposite is the case. The United States has had daily case records for the past two days.
Joe Tsai, at a virtual sports conference at the University of Michigan On Thursday, he painted a picture of what it would take for the fans to return … but he didn’t sound optimistic.
On the “bubble” and “wubble” experiences, Tsai said Thursday: “What the NBA did was great, but we need the fans to come into the building. We can control behavioral things to do that. Use of masks, fan tests, social distancing. Other countries have dominated it, the United States has not. “
Earlier, Tsai had suggested that with a vaccine and a rapid coronavirus test, things might change,
“We know there is going to be a vaccine. You can have rapid test programs before people enter the building that will eventually return to normal, “he told CNBC three weeks ago. He noted that half of the NBA team’s income comes from ticket sales and other income associated with the arena experience.
There are other issues that need to be addressed, such as whether the Raptors may have to settle in another city in the United States due to international travel restrictions. Louisville is a city that has been suggested, but there are other places closer to Toronto like the Prudential Center. Then there is the issue of the G League.
Assuming a start date of December 22, how would that affect the Nets? For one thing, their squad is stable and they may not need a lot of touch-ups before the season starts. Big moves could wait until the trade deadline, whenever that is. On the other hand, the team has several players returning from injuries – Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving – or COVID-19 – Spencer Dinwiddie, DeAndre Jordan and Taurean Prince. Getting back into the rhythm will take some time. The Nets also have to fill out their coaching staff.
Of course, those five along with Jaylen Hands of the Long Island Nets have been working together in Los Angeles for the past few weeks.
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