NBA Contemplating In-Season Tournament, Adam Silver Says

There’s already one in the postseason, why not make it a regular-season thing, too?

The NBA is tinkering with the idea of adding an in-season tournament, according to commissioner Adam Silver.

Silver recently said that the league was “moving closer” to adding such an event, though he added it wouldn’t happen next season with the earliest it coming to fruition being during the 2023-24 season.

The idea has been kicked around league circles for several years, and the acceptance of the play-in tournament has only amplified the conversation.

“I think we were moving closer to it,” Silver said. “But I feel we’ve had productive conversations with the Players Association, whose approval, of course, would be required to change the format. And my sense is there’s a fair amount of interest.

“There’s tournaments [in other sports] along the way where players, I’m sure, feel an extra boost of competitiveness around winning a particular trophy. And that’s what we’re looking at. It’s complicated.”

The addition of an in-season tournament would mean a reduction in regular-season games, though the exact number is yet to be determined.

“I think we have to approach a change in the schedule very seriously, both on behalf of the teams and the players, because at least in the short run, it would reduce our overall revenue,” he said.