The National Basketball Association has done a magnificent job in addressing some much-needed changes under the jurisdiction of commissioner Adam Silver. During his tenure, the NBA has continued to grow and obtained the highest watched NBA Finals since the days of Michael Jordan.
One noticeable change heading into the 2017-18 season is that the league has decided to begin their season about a week in advance. This change provides more rest days for the 30 teams, with a grueling and constant traveling process throughout a season.
The NBA will continue to monitor all aspects of the league, in order to capitalize on the market and so that they are in unison with the National Basketball Players’ Association. According to Shams Charania of The Vertical, the league is now centered on changing the date of the NBA trade deadline:
Sources: NBA has approved change to its trade deadline for 2017-18 season to the second Thursday (Feb. 8, 2018) before All-Star weekend.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 12, 2017
The decision to move the NBA trade deadline earlier into the season has big implications for many teams. The plethora of rumors spiraling around All-Star Weekend has always been a major conversation point, with many speculating that All-Star Weekend was where DeMarcus Cousins found out he was being traded.
Commissioner Silver and the league have made the right choice to move the deadline earlier into the season so that teams can avoid the trade rumors and following questions before the All-Star Game. For example, the Los Angeles Lakers made two trades throughout the entire 2016-17 season. Both of those trades came on February 23rd, just before the conclusion of the trading period.
The Lakers were able to acquire Tyler Ennis, who posted career highs in points, assists, and steals, while also acquiring a first-round pick in the 2017 NBA Draft. However, under this new situation, the trading frenzy will subside well before the All-Star Game. The Board of Governors voted on the change at a meeting on Tuesday, with the teams being informed on Wednesday.
Los Angeles Lakers(96) - Minnesota Timberwolves(103)