Under commissioner Adam Silver, the NBA has been open to any number of potential changes that will benefit the league in any way. Whether it is on-court rule changes to help speed up the game and make it more fun to watch for fans, changes to the draft structure, or any other possibility, anything is up for discussion.
One of the more recent and biggest additions to the league was the Play-In Tournament, which originally debuted during the 2020 pandemic season and had its first true use in 2021 as the ninth and 10th seeded teams in each conference had a chance to sneak in the playoffs. Now, the league is apparently considering something even bigger.
According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, the NBA is discussing potentially having an in-season tournament with a big money prize for the players:
The NBA is discussing having an in-season tournament in future seasons, with $1 million per player in prize money, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium. The concept was discussed on a Competition Committee call today.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) September 13, 2021
It should be noted that the league having a discussion on something does not mean that it will definitely happen. This is simply a case of the NBA throwing around the idea and whether or not it is something that is feasible and will benefit the league in the long run.
The idea is definitely an intriguing one and more money for the players is always a good motivating factor. It is also something that fans would definitely be interested in and will bring a ton of drama to the middle of the season when many fans can check out.
If there is a concern it would have to be that this means more games in the middle of the season for players, and there are already plenty of times throughout the year in which guys sit out to rest and ensure they’re ready for the playoffs. Perhaps shortening the season itself in order to accommodate such a tournament is the solution, but without a doubt, the league will go through every possible scenario to make future seasons the best they can be.
NBA Board of Governors to vote on out of bounds review change
Among those potential on-court rule changes to help the game currently under review by the NBA is the official reviews in the last two minutes of a game. The out-of-bounds calls often come on consecutive plays, triggering an automatic review that can really stretch out the game.
The NBA Board of Governors will be voting on a change to that rule, making out-of-bounds plays in the last two minutes only reviewable via coach’s challenge.
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