The NBPA and the NBA Have Agreed on a December 22nd Start Date

• Despite a negative reaction to a proposed December 22nd start date, the NBPA and the League have been able to come to an agreement on the new season’s curtain raising day.
• Questions remain about where the Toronto Raptors might call home for the 20-21 NBA season.
• The LA Clippers backup head coach Ty Lue by hiring Billups and Drew as assistants.

Breaking: The NBPA player rep vote has completed, approving a Dec. 22 start and 72-game regular season, source tells @wojespn. pic.twitter.com/FPXH2EYT8C

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) November 6, 2020

As per a report by ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the NBPA board of representatives voted to approve a plan for a December 22nd start date. Despite an initially negative reception to the approximately two-month turnaround, league plans and revenue projections seemed to be the deciding factor for both parties.

The biggest change about the new season is the reduced 72-game schedule, down from the regular 82 games. It will be one of the few times in NBA history that the league will have had back-to-back seasons with an intentionally reduced schedule.

In order to accommodate the December 22nd season start, the NBA and NBPA are looking to open free agency as soon as after the November 18th NBA draft. Not only would it help accommodate team organization and player training, but it would certainly help with necessary health protocols, as the current coronavirus pandemic still looms large.

Where Will the Raptors Call Home?

“I’ll be completely honest. We saw rumours Louisville and Buffalo were mentioned. I’ve been to both cities, they’re nice. But we’re a major league city, a larger market. So it got me talking to some people here…and now Kansas City is going wild for the Raptors@MayorLucasKC pic.twitter.com/XB43FdVCVJ

— TSN Radio Vancouver (@TSN1040) October 29, 2020

In one of the more unique situations in the NBA, the Toronto Raptors are struggling to find a place to call home for the upcoming NBA season. As the coronavirus pandemic continues to affect the sports world, the Toronto Raptors, for the second season in a row if you count the NBA bubble, aren’t likely to call Canada their home.

There are a number of cities that seem to be in contention to host the Toronto Raptors for the 20-21 NBA season. There have been a number of cities interested in hosting the Raptors, namely Kansas City, Newark, Seattle, and Nashville. In fact, the mayor of Kansas City Quinton Lucas, and Chief’s quarterback Patrick Mahomes were vocal in their support in hosting the Raptors.

The Raptors’ top choice is still their home city of Toronto. It’d be more cost-effective and it wouldn’t displace players from their homes. However, as the NBA is certainly keen on testing expansion-worthy markets, the league’s most northern franchise seems primed to have a new home for the 20-21 NBA season.

Clippers Add Two Experienced Voices in Billups and Drew

Chauncey Billups and Larry Drew are finalizing assistant coaching deals to join Ty Lue’s staff with the Clippers, sources tell ESPN.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) November 8, 2020

The LA Clippers continue their coaching staff overhaul after firing Doc Rivers. According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the Clippers front office has backed up the former NBA Champion coach by adding former NBA Finals MVP Chauncey Billups and 26-year coaching veteran Larry Drew to his staff.

Larry Drew’s last position was as the head coach of the Cleveland Cavaliers during the 2018-2019 NBA season. He led the Cavaliers to a 19-57 record, before that helming the Atlanta Hawks and Milwaukee Bucks from 2010 to 2014.

This will be Billups’ first position on an NBA coaching staff. The 17-year NBA veteran served from 1997 to 2014 with seven different teams. A five-time All-Star, Billups’ greatest career accomplishment came in 2004 as he won NBA Finals MVP by leading his Detroit Pistons over Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal’s Los Angeles Lakers.