The NBA and the Player’s Association are set to agree on the beginning of the 2020-21 season, with a start date of Dec 22.
This is encouraging news for the league as they continue weathering the COVID-19-induced uncertainty surrounding the sports world since March. Just two months after the Los Angeles Lakers won the 2020 NBA Championship in the Orlando bubble, the NBA will return.
The proposed schedule will bring the NBA back to television a few days before Christmas, setting the league up for their annual Christmas Day games, an important development for league revenue.
The 2020-21 season would consist of 72 games, compared to the usual 82 game schedule. Details are reportedly being worked out between owners and players concerning salaries and escrow payments spread out over the next few years.
NBA Schedule Until Tip-Off
The roster construction of the 30 teams will finally have a chance to take shape, with the NBA draft set for Nov 18, followed closely by free agency and training camps at the beginning of December.
What the shortened offseason does for team chemistry and player development remains to be seen, but it should have an effect, at least at the beginning.
While the turnaround appears short for teams like the Lakers and the Miami Heat, who most recently played on Oct 11, eight teams were not in the Orlando bubble and haven’t played since March. The expected Dec 22 start date is a win for these teams as they look to get their players back in the building and work to build a stronger team in 2021.
Draft Prospects
Fresh faces will finally get their names called by commissioner Adam Silver this month as their first professional homes become a reality. The 2020 draft doesn’t have the big-name stars that recent drafts have had, such as Zion Williamson and Luka Doncic, but it’s a deep class with players capable of contributing.
There are prospects at multiple positions of interest flirting near the top of the pre-draft rankings.
- Guards include: LaMelo Ball, Anthony Edwards, Tyrese Halburton, and Killian Hayes.
- The forward class is headlined by: Deni Avidja, Obi Toppin, Isaac Okoro, Patrick Williams, and Precious Achiuwa.
- Centers to keep an eye on include: James Wiseman and Onyeka Okongwu.
Free Agents
Similarly to the draft, this year’s free agent class doesn’t offer the franchise-altering star that headlined last summer.
While Anthony Davis is set to opt out of his deal and become a free agent, the expectation is he will resign with the defending champion Lakers.
A few notable unrestricted free agents that may swap teams this summer:
- Fred VanVleet
- Joe Harris
- Danilo Gallinari
- Davis Bertans
- Montrezl Harrell
- Christian Wood
The salary cap is expected to dip for this coming season, and the impact that will have on this year’s free agency remains to be seen. Players may choose one-year deals that offer the freedom to cash in next summer.
Top Ten Odds to Win 2021 NBA Championship
- Lakers +450
- Clippers +650
- Warriors +750
- Bucks +750
- Celtics +1000
- Nets +1300
- Heat +1300
- Raptors +1700
- Nuggets +2600
- Rockets and Mavericks +2900
