The NBA is making plans for the first in-season tournament to begin early next season. Plans still must be approved by league members in ordered to be implemented. If so, teams would play an 80 game regular-season, with two additional games being played by those advancing to the knockout stage.
The idea of an in-season tournament has been tossed around for years with the first serious conversations being held in 2016. The layout of the tournament, which was first proposed in 2019, would see teams play eight divisional games, with the eight qualifying teams moving on to a three round elimination series.
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver has been and continues to be a supporter of the tournament. “It’s something that I remain excited about," Silver said. “I think it continues to be an opportunity within the current footprint of our season to create some more meaningful games, games of consequence, during an otherwise long regular season...I think fans might really ultimately enjoy another competition during the season, some sort of cup competition. Certainly not rising to the level of the Larry O’Brien Trophy, yet something else significant to play for."
Getting fans and players to care about this new tournament could prove to be a challenge. From the fan perspective the question remains, what does winning the tournament actually mean for my team? Why should I care about a basketball tournament if it’s not the NBA Finals? For the players, the potential issue of buying-in could be financial and playoff related. When a team wins the tournament do the players receive a bonus? Does winning guarantee a play-in berth if the team isn’t a top six seed? Planners will have to keep questions like these in mind when developing a full-detailed plan.
The 2023-2024 NBA season begins on October 24th, 2023.
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