The NBA and National Basketball Players Association plan to combat load management in a new collective bargaining agreement.
According to The Athletic‘s Shams Charania, the sides are close to agreeing on a stipulation that would make players ineligible for major awards unless they play a minimum number of games.
Per The Athletic, the sides have extended their mutual opt-out deadline during the negotiating process and have a March 31 deadline to reach an agreement on a new CBA.
The load management proposal aims to persuade stars to compete in more regular-season games instead of sitting out—a major thorn in the side of NBA management. The league thrives financially when its stars play instead of taking nights off.
But it’s clear stars don’t want to play an entire 82-game regular season, and minimum requirements for awards such as MVP probably won’t change that.
Kawhi Leonard and LeBron James, among the most decorated NBA stars, are notable players who have taken games off during the regular season in preparation for the playoffs. The proposal seems unlikely to affect their outlook, despite what NBA oldtimers such as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar think.
Players believe taking games off before the playoffs prepare their bodies for a grueling postseason. Leonard has insisted that load management helps him play at his best.
In Toronto’s 2018-19 title season, Leonard only played 60 regular-season games. In the NBA Finals, he was named MVP as the Raptors beat the Warriors in six games.
The NBA could consider shortening the regular season, but fewer games mean a smaller financial pot and are a non-starter with league brass.
