The NBA could implement an in-season tournament into the league schedule within the next few years.
The Athletic’s Shams Charania reported that the NBA Board of Governors discussed on Tuesday an in-season tournament idea for all 30 teams.
According to Charania, eight of the 30 teams would enter a “single-elimination round to determine the winner.” The tournament final would take place at a neutral site. While the tournament wouldn’t likely be implemented during the upcoming season, it could be instituted as soon as the 2023-24 campaign.
The NBA Board of Governors today discussed In-Season Tournament concept of all 30 teams competing and then eight teams entering single-elimination round to determine the winner, with the Final Four at a neutral site, per sources. 2023-24 season at earliest.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 13, 2022
NBA commissioner Adam Silver has long sought out ways to create more interest and excitement in the league’s regular season. He has pushed for in-season tournaments in the past. Play-in tournaments have likely created more of a competitive balance in the NBA, but stars on playoff-bound teams are still often rested throughout the course of the regular season. Silver has also considered shortening the season by a few games, which would make sense with the addition of an in-season tournament.
