The 2020-21 NBA regular season is tentatively set for a start date just a few days before Christmas Day.
The Players Association has tentatively approved the league's proposal for a 72-game season beginning on Dec. 22.
Two agents in touch with players had previously told SNY NBA Insider Ian Begley that those players had said it was very likely the NBPA would approve the proposal.
The league and players will now finalize health and safety protocols, per Shams Charania of The Athletic, while both sides continue to discuss a 17-18 percent salary escrow for the next two seasons, an increase from the normal 10 percent withheld from players' salaries.
Charania is also reporting that the league is expecting a two percent annual increase in the salary cap and luxury tax for the remainder of the current CBA, with the cap this season expected to be about $109 million.
According to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, the NBA is discussing moving up the start of free agency "as early as possible," since training camps are now likely to begin on Dec. 1.
NBA free agency typically begins about a week or so after the draft (with this year's set for Nov. 18), but it will be interesting to see how soon it will start now with such a shortened offseason.