The National Basketball Association and its players union have reached an agreement on the start of next season that includes alterations to the labor contract, the parties said in a statement.
The deal calls for a 72-game season to start on Dec. 22, which is a win for the league and its television partners anxious to salvage the popular Christmas Day games.
Under terms of the agreement free agency will begin at 6 p.m. New York time on Nov. 20, two days after the draft. The salary cap, or team spending limit, will remain at $109.1 million, which is where it was before the pandemic cut league revenue.