The good news for basketball fans is that the NBA officially has a start date to return to play. The bad news for the players is that the players are not going to have very much of a break from season to season. Let’s dive into some of the news from around the league this week!
Top News This Week
- The New York Knicks have officially shut down their facilities after employees tested positive for the coronavirus. It is not yet clear if and when they will be able to reopen after more than one staff member tested positive.
- The Phoenix Suns are one of the teams rumored to be in on acquiring Chris Paul from the Oklahoma City Thunder. The veteran All-Star point guard could potentially join the likes of Devin Booker Deandre Ayton in what could be a very good team with the addition of the veteran star.
- The NBA and Player’s Association announced that they have reached an agreement on the start date for the 2020-21 season. Play will begin on Tuesday, December 22 and each team will play 72 games as a part of the shortened schedule.
- NBA players who accepted the 25 percent salary withholding on May 15 as part of the restart plan will receive a refund of approximately two-thirds of all amounts on December 1st. Due to the huge success of the Orlando restart, an additional player escrow of 4 percent was needed to satisfy revenue splits between the league and players.
- The NBA will start up free agency on November 20th at 6 p.m. ET. Signings will start on November 22nd at 12:01 p.m. ET. For the 2020-21 season, the NBA salary cap will be $109,140,000 and the tax level will be $132,627,000.
- The latest mock NBA draft has LaMeol Ball once again going number 1 overall to the Detroit Pistons, just as many have expected. The mock draft also has Memphis standout rookie James Wiseman heading up to Golden State to play alongside Steph Curry and under Steve Kerr.
Social News
Curious about the entire schedule for the NBA this year will shape up? Marc Stein has you covered with all of the important dates heading into the new season.
NBA Calendar …
Nov. 18: NBA Draft*
Nov. 20: Free agency starts at 6 PM
Nov. 22: Free agent signings can begin at 12:01 PM
Dec. 1: Training camps open
Dec. 22: Opening Night
*Freeze on trades being lifted is still TBD but remains likely to happen in the Nov. 16 range
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) November 10, 2020
The Orlando Magic unveiled their new City Edition jerseys, and you will not want to miss them. They got a real winner here.
The moment you've been waiting for… #cityedition 🍊 pic.twitter.com/AO7FCNFVfk
— Orlando Magic (@OrlandoMagic) November 10, 2020
Speaking of new flashy jerseys, the Philadelphia 76ers revealed some of their new threads as well.
The threads. 🧵 pic.twitter.com/mDf4Mvk2V3
— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) November 10, 2020
And finally, in honor of the upcoming NBA draft, we look back at when LeBron and Carmelo got picked.
🌟 @carmeloanthony and @KingJames arrive for 2003 NBA Draft! 🌟
2020 #NBADraft: Wednesday, Nov. 18
7pm/et on ESPN 📺 pic.twitter.com/xn6gXvQjw5— NBA (@NBA) November 10, 2020
All of that news and more, this week in the NBA! Check back weekly with GMS Sports for the most up-to-date information on your favorite sports.
