NBA Moving Closer To Deciding To Start New Season Late December

The NBA and its players are looking to come to an agreement about starting the next season on Dec. 22.

The new NBA season has been shortened to just 72 games due to the deadly Coronavirus. Typically the season would run from Halloween and end in June and this time around, the NBA is potentially going to make the decision to start the season on Dec. 22, writes Jay Connor from The Root.

From The Athletic via The Root:

“The National Basketball Players Association is planning to hold a vote on Thursday night or Friday morning regarding the Dec. 22 start format to the 2020-21 season amid the coronavirus pandemic, sources told The Athletic.”

The NBPA, led by executive director Michele Roberts, started formal conference calls with players from all 30 teams this week. Players have been holding calls with the NBPA beginning Monday and will go through Thursday morning. Players coming out of several meetings believe a Dec. 22 start is inevitable, sources said.”

If the players like the deal the NBA’s commissioner Adam Silver and the league’s board of governors would follow behind their decision. According to the Root, the league’s moratorium would then be lifted and the ability to make trades and other business deals between teams would be restored. The outlet reports that the 2020 NBA Draft is less than two weeks away and the training camp is set to start on December 1.

Los Angeles Lakers player Danny Green says he disagrees with the start date. “I think most guys, if they said we start in December, would be like ‘I’m not there.’ You know what I mean?” Green said during an appearance on The Ringer NBA Show back in October. “Bron’s been in the Finals 10 years out of his 17 years, which is unbelievable. Mentally, it’s draining to do that, and to have that quick of a restart […] I wouldn’t expect to see him there. I wouldn’t expect to see him probably for the first month of the season. He’ll probably be working out with us, probably do some playing, but I just don’t expect guys to want to be there or show up willingly at this moment.”