A potential midseason NBA tournament is far from a done deal, but if it happens, teams might be playing for more than a trophy and bragging rights.
Awarding the tournament winner an extra draft pick has been proposed as an incentive, league sources told Marc Stein of The New York Times, though that change would need to be approved by a vote at the NBA Board of Governors meeting in April.
The NBA is apparently eyeing its 75th anniversary season, 2021-22, to introduce the in-season tournament.
The soccer-inspired event is one of three major schedule changes reportedly being discussed by the league, the National Basketball Players Association, and NBA broadcast partners.
The G League will hold its own midseason tournament at its annual winter showcase event in mid-December. Teams will be ranked 1-28 based on their records through the first 12 games of the season.
The top four teams will be placed into the championship bracket while the remaining 24 teams will be placed into six four-team brackets. The tournament-winning club will receive $100,000, and the games will count toward regular-season records.
