NBPA reportedly set to vote on two potential formats for 2020-21 season

On Oct. 23, word broke from multiple sources that the NBA was considering a late December start for the 2020-21 regular season. Though that target date would represent a rapid timetable considering the mid-October end to the 2019-20 campaign and the established date of Nov. 18 for the 2020 NBA Draft, all indications were that the NBA and its Board of Governors were in favor of starting as quickly as possible, pending the approval of the NBPA. In short order, though, public push-back emerged from the side of the players, with NBPA executive director telling The Athletic the union would “not be rushed” by any artificial deadline, and the two sides agreeing to (again) delay their negotiating deadline.

With that in mind, further details emerged on the NBPA side on Tuesday evening, with Shams Charania of The Athletic reporting that two scenarios have taken center stage. Charania reports that the NBA is “planning to hold a vote on Thursday night or Friday morning” with one proposal beginning the 2020-21 season on Dec. 22, and the other featuring a start date of Jan. 18.

Charania’s entire piece is certainly worth a read, though the broader details are certainly interesting for the Atlanta Hawks and the rest of the league’s franchises. The Dec. 22 proposal centers on a 72-game season, with Dec. 1 as the approximate start of training camp, and that would put the end of the regular season in mid-May, with a play-in tournament and playoffs to follow through mid-to-late July.

With the January proposal, training camp would not open until after Christmas, with only a 60-game regular season schedule. That would push the end of the regular season into June, with the play-in tournament, playoffs, and the NBA Finals set to end in late August.

It is important to note that nothing is official on either side at this juncture but, if nothing else, a resolution seems to be nearing.

Stay tuned.