The NBA is confident that the players’ union will agree to tip off the 2020-21 season in December, according to Brian Windhorst of ESPN.
Reports surfaced last week that the league is targeting a Dec. 22 start date.
“I don’t really think the players have much of a leveraging point here,” Windhorst said on the Hoop Collective podcast. “They’re probably going to have to agree to this.
“In talking to people on the league side this past week, they didn’t act like getting the players to agree was going to be that big of a stumbling block. I’m sure some people are going to be upset, but I’m not sure what they can do about it.”
A Dec. 22 tipoff would mean 72 days of offseason between the Game 6 of the The Finals and the start to the 2020-21 season. The NBA reportedly has also explored Jan. 18 as a potential start date.
Commissioner Adam Silver recently said he is hopeful fans will be allowed back in buildings next season.
