NBA Owners, Players Reportedly Nearing Agreement on Dec. 22 Start Date
The NBA is expected to agree on a 72-game season for 2020-21 starting on Dec. 22 after separate meetings from the Board of Governors and Players Association, according to Adrian Wojnarowski and Zach Lowe of ESPN.
The NBPA will hold team conference calls this week and will have a vote Thursday involving the player representatives.
Both sides are expected to approve the measure to begin the year before Christmas Day.
One remaining point of discussion is a salary escrow for players of about 18 percent over the next two years. Players will reportedly accept the agreement but are still negotiating the figure.
The league already holds 10 percent of league salaries in escrow in case revenues fall short of projections.
NBA revenue dropped 10 percent in 2019-20 amid the coronavirus pandemic, per Wojnarowski and Lowe.
The new agreement would at least get the 2020-21 schedule on track in an expedited offseason after the Los Angeles Lakers won their title last month.
The NBA draft is currently scheduled for Nov. 18, while free agency and training camps are now both slated to start on Dec. 1. The quick start would also allow the league to have nationally televised games on Christmas Day, which is usually a big revenue builder for the NBA.
According to Wojnarowski and Lowe, the league could salvage between $500 million and $1 billion by starting in December rather than January.
A shortened season will also allow the league to finish in time for the Summer Olympics, scheduled to start in mid-July 2021 in Tokyo.
