Report: NBA to allow 17 players per team for season restart
As the NBA and National Basketball Players Association continue to iron out terms for the 22-team model that will be used to crown a champion during the pandemic-altered season, it appears clubs will be allowed to carry additional players to replace some who may not feel comfortable heading to the Orlando Walt Disney World Resort bubble site.
ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported on Wednesday that players who don't wish to participate in the campaign's resumption won't be punished outside of losing portions of their salaries. This afternoon, Shams Charania of The Athletic added that the Association intends to bolster the 15-player limit by two:
Charania also reported that players currently available can put pen to paper on contracts with teams:
For a piece published by ESPN on Wednesday, Wojnarowski said that between 40 and 50 players voiced concerns over the restart during a recent conference call. One topic discussed was that family members won't be welcomed to the temporary basketball hub until the first round of the playoffs concludes.
That protocol has not yet been changed, but discussions between the union and the players are ongoing.
Wojnarowski also reported some players who believe their teams can't win a championship in the 22-team format may elect to wait until training camps for the 2020-21 season begin to rejoin their clubs.
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