Adam Silver has reportedly reached an agreement with the NBPA on a new seven-year deal, with fans fuming over the addition of an ‘in-season tournament.’ ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported – “Deal includes In-Season Tournament, the 65-game minimum for postseason awards, new limitations on highest spending teams and expanded opportunities for trades and free agency for mid and smaller team payrolls, sources tell ESPN.”
Fans slammed this idea as the league is already the most demanding it has ever been, with players resting back-to-back gamed more than ever. “In-season tournament? Guys are already missing regular season games like crazy; I can only imagine folks “load managing” the tourney,” said one fan on Twitter. Here are some of the best reactions from Twitter:
The deal is set to kick in from next season, and the tournament details are yet to be announced. However, after seeing the initial responses, Adam Silver might only reconsider this idea if he can win over the masses after presenting the tournament details. As seen with the play-in tournament, which was rejected at first but has made the NBA much more entertaining.
Apart from the in-season tournament, Adam Silver will be pleased that the 65-game minimum to prevent load management is gaining positive responses
Adam Silver mentioned earlier that player load management is one of the issues he wants to rectify in this new deal, and the recent award minimum might do the trick. Every award will be given only to players who have played at least 65 regular season games that season as part of the new seven-year agreement. Giannis Antetokounmpo was the last person to win MVP playing under 65 games; however, he did it during the pandemic-shortened season.
This minimum game mandate will ensure players cannot miss any game they like, especially stars in the conversations for awards such as the MVP. Kawhi Leonard is widely recognized as the face of load management, and as good a player as he is, he has never won a league MVP due to that. The 65-game minimum will reward players for their consistency and ability to stay fit instead of just pure talent.
Spending caps are being applied on high-spending teams in regards to other aspects of the deal. The teams mentioned during the agreement discussions were the Golden State Warriors and the Los Angeles Clippers. These two California giants have spent a fortune building their teams. The Warrior’s acquisition of KD in 2016 because of the cap spike was the butterfly effect that led to this new rule.
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