NBA discussing increasing roster size amid COVID-19 pandemic by adding a third two-way contract, per report

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NBA discussing increasing roster size amid COVID-19 pandemic by adding a third two-way contract, per report


The league has already had to postpone 13 games so far this season


By Michael Kaskey-Blomain
1 hr ago



In order to combat the rampant player absences and, in turn, postponed games, taking place across the league's landscape due to the NBA's healthy and safety protocols amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the league is considering expanding rosters. The league is discussing expanding rosters from 17 to 18 players, with the additional slot to be used for a third two-way player, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.

Two-way spots are intended for players with three years of NBA experience or less, and they allow players to split time between the G League and the regular NBA. In the past, teams have been permitted to roster two two-way players per season. This season, players on two-way contracts are allowed to be active for 50 regular season games. The NBA and National Basketball Players Association still have to agree on the final details regarding the additional roster spot, but an agreement is expected, per Wojnarowski.

So far this season, 13 games have been postponed due to teams not having enough players, and there have been a plethora of other instances where teams have been forced to play extremely shorthanded. The league isn't interested in pausing the season, so adding another player to bolster rosters, as well as increasing safety protocols, appear to be their alternate solutions.

The addition of another player to team rosters should at least alleviate some of the wear and tear that players have endured while rosters have been thinned. Putting too many miles on players early in the season has been a concern expressed by some coaches.

"I'm more concerned with health on the floor. We're gonna play players that haven't played a lot of minutes," 76ers coach Doc Rivers said after his team was forced to play with just eight players against the Denver Nuggets last weekend. "And that's not just for today, that's long-term health with the accumulation of games. The numbers we want to stay away from with our players. So I'm actually more concerned with that than I am, actually, about COVID. And I am concerned about COVID. I think everybody is. The league is, and everyone else is, as well. So yeah, it's a lot of stuff going on."

There's no perfect answer for the league outside of a bubble, but the expansion of rosters should at least help to curb the number of games that needed to be rescheduled.


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