When Will the Next NBA Season Start?
The National Basketball Association (NBA) and the National Basketball Players Association (NBPA) have agreed on the next season's schedule.
The agreement will require players to report to their respective teams for training in less than a month.
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The NBA is one of the country's biggest sports leagues, and it is also one of the most-watched events.
After the Los Angeles Lakers got its championship trophy, the NBA and the NBPA have tentatively agreed on Thursday to start the 2020-21 season on Dec. 22.
The approval came after they voted to get all NBA teams and players back on the floor for a 72-game regular season before Christmas, as per The New York Times.
They also discussed how to safely proceed with the new season amid the threats of the global pandemic.
The NBPA's board facilitated the voting. Each team was represented by one player who was entrusted to speak on behalf of his teammates. It is part of the lengthy processes that the NBA traditionally follows.
Meanwhile, there are still other things that have yet to be discussed. These include how much bonds will be taken from players' salaries due to the shorter season than the traditional number of games, how the players will have their testing, and other safety measure protocols.
The health and safety measures are now the NBA's top priorities to make sure that players are virus-free and that there will be no virus contagion during the league.
According to FOX News, the staff and essential crew members of the team will also be subjected to COVID-19 testing. These things must all be planned before the next season will officially resume.
The NBPA released its official statement and said: "Additional details remain to be negotiated and the NBPA is confident that the parties will reach agreement on these remaining issues relevant to the upcoming season."
The talks between the NBA and NBPA continue, and they are finalizing things as the season will begin next month.
The NBA Draft is scheduled for Nov. 18, and the training will begin on Dec. 1. These schedules were all approved by the different representatives of each team.
On the other hand, the Free Agency is scheduled for the last week of this month. During this week, trades will be allowed. Many NBA trade rumors are circulating in the league right now.
Some players must need to know the deadlines, and they will have to either accept or decline the options this coming season.
The NBA decided to have the December schedule instead of a mid-January for many reasons. One of the most important factors they consider is revenue. The NBA estimates that the 72 games will earn $500 million more than a season with not more than 60 games.