Basketball is back: NBA announces Dec. 22 start date for the 2020-21 season

It’s official: Basketball is coming back Dec. 22.

The NBA and the National Basketball Players Association have come to an agreement on a start date and other important terms for the 2020-21 season, with a slightly shortened regular season set to tip off in late December.

“We are excited that the 2020-21 NBA season will officially tip off in December,” Utah Jazz president Jim Olson said. “The entire Jazz organization and its loyal fans have been eagerly awaiting the return of Jazz basketball to our homecourt at Vivint Arena. Public health and the safety of our players, fans and community are of the utmost importance, and we will continue to take guidance from the NBA and local health officials to set the appropriate standards that support the safest possible return to play. We want to thank Commissioner Adam Silver, the NBA and the National Basketball Players Association for their extraordinary efforts and shared commitment to starting the season in these unusual circumstances.”

Here’s what we know about the upcoming season so far:

• The NBA Draft is still scheduled for Nov. 18

• Free agent negotiations begin two days later on Nov. 20 (at 4 p.m. MT)

• Teams can begin signing players at 10:01 p.m. MT on Nov. 22

• Training camps are likely to begin Dec. 1

• The season will begin on Tuesday, Dec. 22

• The season will feature 72 games (down from the usual 82)

• A full schedule will be released at a later date

• The Salary Cap will be set at $109.14 million

• The Tax Level will be $132.627 million

• Those numbers will increase 3-10 percent in each subsequent season of the Collective Bargaining Agreement

• Revenue having been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, the league and union will now use a new system to split basketball-related income (BRI)

With just a few weeks to go before players report to training camp, this promises to be an offseason unlike any other.

It’s time to buckle up, Jazz fans.