According to various sources Monday, NBA team owners are poised to enact stricter regulations against resting key players this week, including higher fines for missed games by multiple All-key players.
According to ESPN and The Athletic, citing unnamed sources, the NBA’s board of governors is expected to implement tighter laws against “load management” on Wednesday, after a recommendation by the league’s competition committee.
According to the sources, the new rules would prohibit clubs from resting more than one player who has been an NBA All-Star or All-NBA player in the previous three seasons.
According to ESPN, teams could face fines of $100,000 for the first infringement, $250,000 for the second, and $1 million more than the previous punishment for each successive violation.
The decision comes as the NBA attempts to secure new media rights deals and ensure prominent players don’t miss important televised games, and the NBA’s new in-season tournament should allay potential partners’ concerns.
The league has already taken steps to discourage players from sitting out without an injury or personal concerns, requiring players to appear in at least 65 of the 82 regular-season games in order to be eligible for accolades such as NBA Most Valuable Player.
Players want the NBA to address the demand difficulties that force players to manage their rest during the NBA’s six-month regular season, particularly as the new in-season event debuts in November and December.
According to ESPN, the NBA league office will look into resting as a measure of punishment, including independent medical reviews.
According to a document acquired by ESPN from the league, teams will be responsible for managing player availability such that no more than one “star” player misses a game and that stars are accessible for nationally televised games and in-season tournament matchups.
It also wants teams to evenly distribute the amount of one-game absences by a top player between home and away games, with a tendency for such absences to occur at home.
According to the memo, teams must guarantee that players who are sitting out to rest are present at games and visible to spectators, and teams must avoid any long-term shutdown when players are absent or playing in a reduced role due to game integrity issues.
According to sources, the NBA would allow excused absences and pre-approved back-to-back rest games for players who are 35 or older when the season begins or have played 34,000 regular-season minutes or 1,000 combined playoff and regular-season games.