Report: NBA, NBPA Agree to Career-Ending Injury Insurance Increase

The NBA is offering more protections for players heading into the restarted season.

According to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, the NBA and NBPA raised the insurance coverage to provide a $2.5 million benefit for players who suffer career-ending injuries. This also includes those who suffer from complications due to COVID-19.

The previous payout was just $312,000.

Wojnarowski previously reported the NBA and NBPA agreed in June to enhance the policy.

This was a concern for several players heading into the league's restart, which included the risk of contracting the coronavirus as well as an increased risk of injury due to the four-month layoff between games.

Jayson Tatum, Bam Adebayo, De'Aaron Fox, Kyle Kuzma and Donovan Mitchell—all on the brink of extensions this offseason after being drafted in 2017—spoke to NBPA executive director Michele Roberts and senior counsel Ron Klempner about improving the insurance as a protection for their future deals, per Wojnarowski.

"[There's] a lot of guys in my situation; a lot of guys are going to be free agent," Tatum later told reporters. "... Guys are putting a lot on the line."

Players were also given the opportunity to opt out of competing, although Tatum, Mitchell and Adebayo are all key players on playoff contenders.

The latest changes to the insurance policy could help put these players and others at ease as league prepares to begin seeding games Thursday.