The NBA’s Board of Governors unanimously approved rules changes to address game flow, including significant changes to timeouts, and also agreed to move the trade deadline to before the All-Star game.
Speaking at a news conference in Las Vegas after the league’s announcement, Commissioner
Citing travel and logistical concerns voiced before, Silver also said the NBA has given no new consideration to a 1-16 playoff format that would eliminate conferences. He did reference the 2015-16 Bulls as the only recent Eastern Conference team to post a top-16 record and not make the playoffs. That team finished ninth in the East with a 42-40 mark, while the 41-41 Rockets captured the West’s eighth seed.
As for timeouts, teams now will have 14 instead of 18 and can use only two — instead of three — in the final three minutes of regulation. In overtime, teams will be granted two instead of three timeouts.
Each team has seven timeouts per half and instead of full and “20-second” timeouts, which lasted 90 and 60 seconds, respectively, all timeouts will be 75 seconds.
Also, all halftimes will last 15 minutes and teams will be assessed a delay-of-game penalty if not ready when the clock that started immediately at the end of the second quarter runs out.
Officials also will assess delay-of-game violations if a foul shooter goes beyond the 3-point line in between free-throw attempts.
Next season’s trade deadline will be Feb. 8. In a statement, the league said “teams will be able to settle their rosters before the All-Star break and avoid the disruptions that result from players joining new teams just as practices and games are beginning to resume following the All-Star break.”
The Bulls will play a final consolation game Friday.
With
PREVIOUS ARTICLE
