The NBA is serious about making its proposed in-season tournament an event worth winning.
According to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, the league is discussing a prize of $1 million per player for the winner of its proposed in-season tournament.
Story filed to ESPN: The NBA is discussing a $1 million per player purse for the winners of the proposed 30-team, in-season tournament. Reporting with more details on discussions for possible 2021-2022 league calendar change soon on site.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) December 20, 2019
While star players making $30 million might not care about this as much, lesser players would have a major incentive to pursue a $1 million prize. It would also be a way of increasing the importance of the tournament and reducing the likelihood of load management playing a role in the games.
The big question is whether fans take to it. The NBA regular season isn’t a huge draw right now, which is why commissioner Adam Silver is proposing major changes. A potential $1 million purse per player is an indication of just how serious the league is about giving weight to some of these proposed changes. Perhaps fans will follow if teams take it seriously, but there’s no guarantee this will have the impact that Silver wants it to. It’s still an interesting idea, though.
