NBA Commissioner Adam Silver has watched the league succeed with its play-in tournaments for the playoffs.? Photo by JB Autissier/Panoramic/Icon Sportswire

NBA having formal discussions about creating in-season tournament?

Originally posted on Larry Brown Sports | By Grey Papke | Last updated 9/13/21

The NBA is pressing on with exploring the possibility of an in-season tournament, with the league’s Competition Committee holding significant discussions on the subject.

According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, the league’s Competition Committee discussed the tournament idea on a call Monday. The proposed idea would include $1 million in prize money for each player on the winning team.

The NBA is discussing having an in-season tournament in future seasons, with $1 million per player in prize money, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium. The concept was discussed on a Competition Committee call today.

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) September 13, 2021

The league has long floated the idea of a European-style in-season tournament to break up the regular season a bit and give every team a chance of winning some sort of trophy aside from the NBA title. The idea has gained momentum in light of the success of the league’s play-in tournament. The financial incentives are meant to compel players who might otherwise want a break to participate in the event.

This proposal will likely face some significant resistance among players, but the $1 million payday could be very appealing to some of the league’s lower-paid players. The fact that the NBA continues to push the idea suggests that it believes it can get the players onside at some point.

This article first appeared on Larry Brown Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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