Will NBA players be waving the Olympic flag in Japan next summer? OIS/IOC Handout Photo-USA TODAY Sports

Is NBA planning for shortened 2020-21 season because of the Olympics?

By Zac Wassink | Last updated 6/4/20

The NBA calendar for the next 12 months may be taking shape.

On Thursday, the NBA Board of Governors voted to approve the 22-team model to complete the 2019-20 season that was halted on March 11 because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Teams will convene and play at Orlando's Walt Disney World Resort, and the season is expected to resume on July 31.

Shams Charania of The Athletic tweeted other tentative datesfor the remainder of the year, including a Dec. 1 start for the 2020-21 campaign:

Sources: The NBA informed the Board of Governors of scheduled dates:

- Training camp: June 30, July 7 travel to Orlando
- 2019-20 season: July 31
- Free agency: Oct. 18
- 2020-21 targets: Nov. 10 training camp, Dec. 1 opening night (can remain fluid)
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 4, 2020

NBA insider Frank Isola confirmed the Dec. 1 date and added: "The hope is to keep NBA players — from every country — in play for the Olympics."

The 2020 Summer Olympics originally scheduled in Tokyo were postponed to 2021 because of the pandemic. Those Games are now set to take place July 23 through Aug. 8.

History suggests the National Basketball Players Association would not approve of a proposal that decreased off days during the regular season, especially if clubs have to travel for away games rather than meet at one of a handful of bubble sites, such as what the NHL is doing for its 24-team model to crown a Stanley Cup champion.

If having 16 teams participate in a standard postseason tournament next spring before players join national teams for Olympic duties is the goal, one would assume the 2020-21 campaign will not include a full 82-game slate.

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