NBPA Approves December 22 Start For 2020/21 Season
The National Basketball Players Association board of representatives voted on Thursday night in a favor of an NBA proposal to start the 2020/21 regular season on December 22 and play a 72-game schedule, according to reports from ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski and Shams Charania of The Athletic.
A number of players had been advocating for a later opening night, given how long the 2019/20 season ran, and January 18 was the other start date being considered. However, the NBA estimated that a pre-Christmas start would save up to $500MM and $1 billion in revenue, and a mid-January start would have resulted in a shorter season (around 60 games). As a result, the players ultimately came around on the league’s plan.
The result of the NBPA’s vote doesn’t make the December 22 start date official. As the union indicated in a statement confirming the news, there are still additional financial and logistical details to be negotiated. However, both sides are confident that agreements can be reached on those issues.
As Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press writes, determining what portion of player salaries will be placed into escrow is one important issue the NBA and NBPA need to resolve. According to Charania, the two sides are discussing an escrow in the 17-18% range for player salaries over the next two years, in the hopes that that amount can be reduced to the usual 10% by 2022/23. That would help cushion the blow of the lost revenues for players, spreading the hit over multiple seasons rather than having them bear the brunt of it in ’20/21.
Negotiations between the NBA and NBPA on that subject and other financial issues are expected to extend into next week, sources tell Wojnarowski. Once the two sides reach a formal agreement, the league can lift its moratorium on transactions, allowing teams to conduct trades and other roster moves before the November 18 draft. The transaction freeze is expected to end by November 16, per Charania.
The league and the union hope to open free agency as quickly as possible after the draft, since there will be a very short window before teams have to open training camps on December 1, says Wojnarowski. The start date for free agency still isn’t official, but seems likely to fall within two or three days of the draft.
The salary cap for the 2020/21 season is expected to remain unchanged, with the NBA and NBPA artificially setting at $109.141MM despite projected revenue losses. The league and the union are discussing the possibility of agreeing to have the cap increase by 2% annually for the remainder of the current Collective Bargaining Agreement, per Charania (Twitter link). That would mean a cap of $111.324MM for the ’21/22 campaign.
Meanwhile, the league and the union will also have to agree to a set of safety and health protocols as they look to play the 2020/21 season in teams’ respective home arenas rather than in a single-site bubble, even as the number of coronavirus cases around the U.S. continues to rise. Chris Paul and Russell Westbrook were among the players who said on Thursday’s call that they want to view the official health and safety measures before fully committing to the season, sources tell Charania.
According to a Thursday report, there’s hope that – at least in some markets – fans will be able to attend games in person with limited capacities and strict safety regulations in place. If that’s possible, it would help offset some of the league’s projected revenue losses.
The NBA will have to decide soon where the Raptors will be playing in ’20/21, since there are still significant restrictions in place on cross-border travel between the U.S. and Canada. Newark has been one of several cities discussed as a possibility.
While the league hasn’t yet finalized a schedule for 2020/21, Charania previously reported that the expectation is the season will run from December 22 through mid-May, with the NBA Finals finishing around July 22, just in time for the start of the Tokyo Olympics.
The league is expected to reduce teams’ travel by 25% and there will likely be a six-day All-Star break in early March, though it’s not clear if an All-Star Game will actually be played. The NBA is also hoping to conduct a play-in tournament for the final two seeds in each conference.
NBA Hopes To Have Some Fans In Arenas To Start Season
NBA arenas won’t be at full capacity anytime soon, but teams are hoping to get some amount of fans into their buildings for the start of the 2020/21 season, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter links).
As Charania explains, the exact restrictions on fan attendance will depend in large part on each NBA city’s local regulations, though the league would also have its own protocols in place related to mask-wearing and social distancing. Courtside seats, for instance, would have to be at least 10 or 12 feet away, sources tell Charania.
Within his preview of the coming offseason, ESPN’s Zach Lowe noted that Warriors officials asked the league on a recent conference call about whether it will be feasible to allow high-paying fans into luxury suites. And Golden State is far from the only team asking those sorts of questions, according to Lowe.
Those luxury suites should provide an avenue for the NBA to get more fans into buildings, per Charania, who says the league would like to have the suites at 25-to-50 percent capacity for the 2020/21 season. The league has estimated that playing the entire season in empty arenas could mean sacrificing about 40% of its usual annual revenue, but selling tickets for some seats and suites would allow teams to recoup at least a little of that lost revenue.
Of course, if a COVID-19 vaccine is approved and becomes widely available at some point in 2021, the NBA could potentially open up a more significant portion of its arenas. In the meantime, the league is expected to explore forms of rapid coronavirus testing as a possible screening method for fans.
John Lucas To Remain With Rockets On Silas’ Staff
Veteran coach John Lucas, who has been in Houston for the last four years in a player development role, will remain with the Rockets, having agreed to be part of new head coach Stephen Silas‘ staff, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski and Tim MacMahon of ESPN (Twitter link).
A former first overall pick as an NBA player, Lucas transitioned to coaching in the early 1990s and has spent time as a head coach for the Spurs, Sixers, and Cavaliers. The 66-year-old was also an assistant for the Nuggets and Clippers before eventually joining the Rockets in 2016.
After spending four years working under Mike D’Antoni, Lucas was a candidate to be promoted to take D’Antoni’s place as head coach in Houston. He was reportedly one of three finalists – alongside Silas and Jeff Van Gundy – and there was a belief that some Rockets players were pulling for him to get the job.
When the team opted instead for Silas, it wasn’t clear whether Lucas would stick around. However, new general manager Rafael Stone is said to be one of Lucas’ biggest backers in the organization and the two sides were apparently able to work out a new deal.
The Rockets are reportedly hoping that Silas’ coaching staff will include at least two former NBA head coaches. Lucas fits that bill, though it looks like the club will miss out on rumored target Nate McMillan. Houston was also said to be in talks with Jeff Hornacek.
Canada May Skip 2024 Olympic Qualifier
The Canadian men’s basketball team can take the first step on the road to the 2024 Olympics later this month, but multiple sources tell Michael Grange of Sportsnet that Canada may skip the qualifying tournament because of COVID-19 concerns.
The FIBA AmeriCup is set for November 29 and 30, with Canada facing Cuba and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The nation only needs a top-three finish to advance to the next round, but the pandemic makes it unlikely that a team will be sent.
“It’s not happening,” one source said.
Canadian officials are hoping the event will be postponed, and a final decision is expected when FIBA holds its general meeting on Friday. If the tournament is played, Canada could opt to forfeit its two games and hope to stay alive with two wins in February. However, a single loss at that event would end any hopes of playing in the 2024 Olympics.
Although Canada hasn’t medaled in basketball since 1936, it can put together a team with plenty of NBA talent. Jamal Murray, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, RJ Barrett, Luguentz Dort, Tristan Thompson and Kelly Olynyk are among the players who could be part of the 2024 roster if Canada qualifies.
NBA, NBPA Moving Toward Agreement On December 22 Start
The NBA’s Board of Governors and the National Basketball Players Association will hold separate calls on Thursday that are expected to culminate in an agreement on a December 22 start date for the 2020/21 regular season, according to Adrian Wojnarowski and Zach Lowe of ESPN.
As Shams Charania of The Athletic previously reported, the NBPA is expected to vote before the end of the week on the league’s December 22 proposal. Wojnarowski and Lowe say that vote will likely take place on Thursday night and that everything is progressing toward a deal between the NBA and the players’ union.
Per Woj and Lowe, the union is holding team conference calls prior to Thursday night – including several today – to provide details on the plan for 2020/21, including how the salary escrow will work going forward.
As Charania reported on Wednesday and as ESPN’s duo confirms, rather than holding a significant percentage (25-40%) of players’ salaries in escrow for ’20/21, the modified escrow figure is expected to be around 18% and will be applied to multiple seasons, smoothing out the losses for players.
Since the NBA and its players split revenue roughly 50/50 and the league is projecting a significant revenue decline for ’20/21, increasing the salary escrow is necessary to account for the losses from the players’ side.
According to ESPN’s Bobby Marks (Twitter link), an 18% escrow for next season would withhold about $720MM from the players, not counting the reduced pay based on a 72-game schedule instead of an 82-game slate. The league and the union are still negotiating that 18% figure though, Woj and Lowe note.
Once the NBA and NBPA reach an agreement on the salary cap, escrow, season start date, and all the other major aspects of the Collective Bargaining Agreement that need to be tweaked, the transaction moratorium can be lifted and dates for free agency can officially be set.
As Charania detailed on Wednesday, a 72-game season that starts on December 22 is expected to end around mid-May, with the Finals finishing around July 22, just in time for the Tokyo Olympics. The NBA is planning for a 25% reduction in travel, with a six-day All-Star break in early March. Training camps would open on or around December 1.
A number of players had been advocating for a later opening night, given how long the 2019/20 season ran, and January 18 was the other start date being considered. However, as Lakers forward Jared Dudley explained today during an appearance on SiriusXM NBA Radio with Frank Isola (audio link), the NBA’s proposal of a December 22 start date and 72-game season is the only option that makes financial sense for players.
“We’ll vote on it, but to be honest with you, there’s no real vote. No one’s playing 55 games. We’ve got to play 72,” Dudley said. “It’s the money thing.”
The NBA has estimated that starting the season before Christmas will save upwards of $500MM to $1 billion in future revenue, per ESPN and other outlets.
Pelicans Discussing Jrue Holiday In Trade Talks
The Pelicans are “openly discussing” Jrue Holiday in trade talks, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic, who reports (via Twitter) that several contending teams are pursuing the veteran guard.
Holiday, 30, is coming off a 2019/20 season in which he averaged 19.1 PPG, 6.7 APG, 4.8 RPG, and 1.6 SPG with a shooting line of .455/.353/.709 in 61 games (34.7 MPG) for the Pelicans. Although he didn’t earn a spot on one of this season’s All-Defensive teams, he has done so twice in the past and is widely considered one of the NBA’s best perimeter defenders.
Holiday’s contract with New Orleans will pay him $26.2MM in 2020/21 and includes a $27.1MM player option for ’21/22. That means he can reach free agency a year from now, putting some pressure on the Pelicans to decide soon whether he’s part of the team’s long-term plans or if it makes sense to see what they can get for him on the trade market rather than risk losing him for nothing in 2021.
If the Pelicans are serious about moving Holiday, he should immediately become one of the league’s most intriguing offseason targets for contending teams. A recent report indicated that about 10 teams had already inquired on the former All-Star, with the Nuggets expected to be among his most aggressive suitors. I’d expect the Nets, Mavericks, Heat, Timberwolves, and several others to have interest as well, though some of those clubs are better equipped than others to put together an appealing package.
Presumably, if the Pelicans look to deal, they’ll be seeking players whose developmental timelines match up with those of franchise cornerstones Brandon Ingram (23 years old) and Zion Williamson (20).
Technically, no trades can be completed yet, as the NBA’s transaction moratorium remains in place. But there’s nothing stopping teams from engaging in discussions now and even reaching tentative agreements on deals that could be finalized once that moratorium is lifted.
NBPA To Vote On December Start Thursday Or Friday
The National Basketball Players Association is planning to hold a vote on Thursday night or Friday morning on the league’s proposal to start next season on December 22, Shams Charania of The Athletic reports.
The NBPA, led by executive director Michele Roberts, started holding conference calls with players from each team on Monday and that process will go through Thursday morning. The tone of those calls gave the impression the season is likely to start before Christmas, Charania adds. In that instance, a 72-game season would be held.
The alternative start date is Martin Luther King Day on January 18 with a 60-game regular season. Previous reports suggested the league might limit the season to 50 games if it started in mid-January.
Sources communicated to Charania that NBA players feel the December 22 league start will happen. The NBA has projected that teams and players could suffer significant financial losses with a January start. The week of Christmas traditionally produces ample revenue, numbering in the hundreds of millions of dollars, for the league.
The league predicted that its television network partners may want to renegotiate their lucrative NBA contracts should Christmas games be skipped this season. Under either restart date, the NBA would reduce travel between arenas by 25% to minimize COVID-19 risk, and there would be a six-day All-Star Break. Also, a play-in tournament for the seventh through tenth seeds in both conferences would transpire.
Both the league and the NBPA are targeting a $109MM salary cap and a $132MM luxury tax. The two sides differ when it comes to how they feel the cap and tax should evolve beyond the 2020/21 season, however. The NBA would like to keep a flat tax and cap over the next few years, while the NBPA would prefer an annual increase, sources tell Charania.
If the two sides agree to a 72-game season tipping off on December 22, there would be 14 back-to-back games per team. The regular season would conclude around May 16, and the NBA Finals would finish at the end of July.
Were the NBA to embark upon a 60-game regular season on January 18, each team would have to deal with 12 back-to-back games. The regular season would resolve in June, and the NBA Finals would wrap up around the end of August.
Alex Kirschenbaum contributed to this report.
Rockets Expected To Rebuff Sixers’ Interest In Harden
The Sixers are among the teams expected to show interest in and pursue a trade for former MVP James Harden this offseason, reports Shams Charania of Stadium (video link). However, according to Charania, any teams inquiring on Harden can expect to receive “an emphatic no” from the Rockets. The idea of a trading the superstar guard is a non-starter for Houston at this point, Charania adds.
While Charania’s report does confirm that the Sixers and other clubs will show interest in Harden, most of this information isn’t new. Last week, after word broke that longtime Rockets GM Daryl Morey would be hired as the 76ers’ president of basketball operations, there was speculation about a potential Philadelphia pursuit of Harden. ESPN’s Tim MacMahon said that Houston’s answer would be a “firm no.”
The Rockets are undergoing major changes this offseason, with Morey and head coach Mike D’Antoni both departing, having been replaced by new GM Rafael Stone and new coach Stephen Silas. It makes sense that teams across the league would poke around to see if Houston wants to make some major roster changes as well, but it doesn’t appear that’s in the cards for this fall.
Stone was a longtime Morey lieutenant in the Rockets’ front office, so this isn’t a case of an outside executive coming in and wanting to reshape a roster based on his philosophies — Stone’s vision likely isn’t too dissimilar to Morey’s.
Additionally, team owner Tilman Fertitta has stated that the Rockets have no plans to “blow up” their roster anytime soon. The plan instead is to try to make upgrades around the current core in the hopes of contending again in 2021.
If the Rockets take a step backward next season, the idea of trading Harden could become more palatable, and the Sixers – who have a pair of All-Stars in Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons – would be an intriguing potential trade partner. But it seems unlikely that there will be any action on that front within the next few weeks.
Nets Likely To Turn Down Garrett Temple’s Option?
Several teams monitoring the free agent market believe the Nets will decline their team option on Garrett Temple for the 2020/21 season, reports Ian Begley of SNY.tv. Begley cautions that things could change between now and the decision deadline, but says he’d be surprised if Temple’s option is exercised.
Temple, 34, played regular minutes for Brooklyn in 2019/20, averaging a career-best 10.3 PPG to go along with 3.5 RPG and 2.5 APG in 62 games (27.9 MPG). However, his shooting percentages (.378 FG%, .329 3PT%) weren’t great and he would likely see his role significantly reduced next season on a fully healthy Nets team that will have Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving in the lineup.
Temple’s option is worth just over $5MM, which isn’t a bad price for the veteran swingman, but the Nets are already on the hook for about $133MM in guaranteed money for next year’s roster and still want to re-sign Joe Harris. Replacing Temple on the cheap might make sense, especially since minimum-salary wing Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot should be back next season.
No decision deadline has been set yet, since the NBA and NBPA have yet to agree on a start date for free agency. The Nets’ decision figures to be due a day or two before the start of the new league year, so they’ll likely have until after the draft to make that call.
If the Nets do decline Temple’s option, he’ll receive interest from multiple suitors in free agency, per Begley. Since making his NBA debut 10 years ago, Temple has played for nine teams — he could join his 10th this offseason.
Celtics, Magic, Wizards Exploring Trading Up In Draft?
The Celtics, Magic, and Wizards are among the teams exploring the possibility of moving up from their current spots in the first round of the draft, league sources tell Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer.
Boston, which currently holds the 14th, 26th, and 30th overall selections, have offered all three of those picks in an effort to move up into the middle of the lottery, but no one is biting so far, according to O’Connor.
Orlando has the 15th overall pick and is also trying to move into the middle of the lottery, per O’Connor, though it’s not clear what the club is offering to sweeten the pot for potential trade partners. The Magic do hold all of their future first-rounders and could make one of those available if they want to move up badly enough.
As for the Wizards, they’re currently set to pick at No. 9, but O’Connor hears they’re angling to move up from there. General manager Tommy Sheppard acknowledged immediately after August’s draft lottery that trading up would be a possibility for his club, though it’s unclear whether Washington is targeting a specific player or spot. O’Connor wonders if a high-upside prospect like LaMelo Ball might pique the Wizards’ interest, especially if he slips beyond the top few picks.
Plenty of teams picking in the top half of the lottery, including the Timberwolves (No. 1), Warriors (No. 2), and Bulls (No. 4) have reportedly looked into trading down or would have interest in doing so. In other words, there should be options for the Celtics, Magic, Wizards, and any other teams that would like to move up.
However, given this year’s unusual pre-draft process and the perception that the 2020 class lacks star power, it may be a challenge for teams to agree on fair value for swapping picks separated by a few spots. The draft is still more than two weeks away and the league’s transaction moratorium has yet to be lifted, so we’ll have to wait a little longer to see how much movement there is in the first round.