The 2020-21 NBA season will officially start three days before Christmas and will be 72 games rather than the traditional 82-game season.
The announcement was made after the NBA and the NBA Players Association reached an agreement, which is pending approval via a vote by the league’s Board of Governors.
The schedule for the Timberwolves and other teams has yet to be announced, but here’s the skinny on what to expect from the NBA this upcoming season.
- Season starts Dec. 22
- Each team will play 72 games
- Training camp begins Dec. 1
- Salary cap will be $109.14 million (same as last season)
- Free agency talks can begin at 5 p.m. CT on Nov. 20
- Free agency signings can happen at 11:01 p.m. CT on Nov. 21
The agreement sets the stage for what should be a crazy, abbreviated offseason. The NBA Draft is Nov. 18 – and the Wolves have the No. 1 overall pick – and it will be followed by free agency talks starting two days later, with training camps opening on the first day of December.
Then teams have three weeks to get ready to play.
There was no word from the NBA that games will be played in the “bubble” in Orlando, Florida, the way the remainder of the 2019-20 regular season and playoffs was due to COVID-19. If games are played at Target Center in Minneapolis, there is no word or information about fans being allowed.
More to come in the days ahead.
