The NBA is expected to allow the 22 teams involved in the championship’s resumption to expand their roster from 15 to 17 players.
The NBA plans to allow the 22 teams involved in the season’s resumption at the end of July in Orlando, Florida, to expand their roster from 15 to 17 players to compensate for the potential risk of injuries or positive tests with coronavirus, reports Thursday Espn.
In addition to the 15 players under standard contract, franchises will be able to take two more signed under a “two-way contract” to Disney World. Normally, these players can be used for up to 45 days by an NBA team. Beyond that, they must re-enter the affiliate team in the G League.
Some teams already have players under this type of contract. The league is expected to open a transfer window for a week at the end of June to allow clubs to complete or reshape their roster, including the eight not affected by the resumption of the season in Orlando.
Free players on the market include pivot DeMarcus Cousins, point guard Isaiah Thomas, fullback JR Smith and Jamal Crawford.
Finals on September 30
The NBA is also in the process of fine-tuning the schedule of games and while it initially set the restart of the season for July 31, it is considering the possibility of advancing it by one day, ESPN said, citing unnamed sources within the league.
The sports channel also states that 14 of the 22 teams will be eliminated within 53 days of arriving in Florida. Only four teams will remain after 67 days. The league expects the finals to begin on September 30.
