Cavs should be pumped 2020-21 for NBA is set to begin Dec. 22

The Cleveland Cavaliers should be excited the NBA’s next season is reportedly set to begin on Dec. 22.

The Cleveland Cavaliers have not appeared in game action since March 10, in what was a close loss to the Chicago Bulls.

From there, the NBA’s 2019-20 season went into a novel coronavirus-induced hiatus, and Cleveland was not a squad that participated in the Orlando-area bubble restart. So for the Cavs and other non-Orlando teams, it’s been a heck of a long layoff.

That said, after reports of a potential Dec. 22 start to the 2020-21 season recently last month, that was ultimately given the go-ahead on Thursday.

It was first reported by Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium that the NBPA voted to tentatively approve the league’s proposal for 2020-21’s Dec. start, with a “72-game season.” And Shams would then hit on the financial/player salary escrow details for two seasons, and also “safety protocols,” regarding COVID-19, being in place.

And then, he would report how the salary cap/luxury tax is being discussed as having a “minimum of 2 percent annual growth” for the rest of the current collective bargaining agreement. Per Charania, the cap is also “expected to be $109 million this offseason.”

That 17-18 percent escrow report from Charania is right in line with a prior report from Wednesday from ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, involving the league then set to propose an 18 percent escrow for the next two seasons. In that report, Wojnarowski stated the league was set to propose a “Dec. 1 start to camps” and “three preseason games” as well.

Regarding an amended collective bargaining agreement, those negotiations are “expected to extend into next week,” per Wojnarowski in a report from late Thursday. Woj noted how a lift of the league’s moratorium period for trades, most notably, would result from an agreement being reached.

Woj then stressed that 72-game/pre-Christmas start to wrap up before next summer’s Olympics would be, per the league, leading to “between $500 million and $1 billion in short- and long-term revenues to the league and players,” which jumped out.

Woj would hit on how on Friday, though, the deadline was pushed to keep the option open of terminating the CBA. Although, coming to an agreement would appear to be likely, given the situation/Woj’s stating of a moratorium period then eventually being lifted for trades.

That termination, in any case, would result a “50-50 split of basketball-related income,” albeit he did then note how due to COVID-19 inducing force majeure, “both sides have the option of serving notice of 45 days on terminating the agreement,” from there. And as h/t Woj, “40% of that revenue could be lost without gate receipts this season,” a sizable number, clearly.

That’s even more so the case, given that, as h/t Woj, the league’s BRI “was down $1.5 billion last season,” which, in turn, made this report particularly notable as far as the start of next season, per Shams.

Per Shams, the league’s set to have “arena suites open to fans at 25-to-50 percent capacity,” for the start of next season, based on the governing local municipalities and with masks/social distancing, etc. guidelines in place.

Lastly, Wojnarowski reported how both sides will likely discuss “moving up the start of free agency as early as possible to accommodate players joining new teams,” given the Dec. 1 training camp start date.

Woj did state how there was some “curiosity” about free agency potentially being before the Nov. 18 2020 NBA Draft but that just wasn’t realistic in this situation, also considering the two sides won’t have a deal finalized until “just prior” to the draft, he emphasized.

So what’s my reaction, from the Cavs’ perspective to a Dec. 22 start? They should be ready to roll.

The Cavs should be pumped, given they’ve had such a long layoff.

For the Wine and Gold, who again haven’t been in game action since March, they should be chomping at the bit to get out there again.

Of course, it’s understandable for rust to be apparent for the group, though. But for the development of young pieces such as Darius Garland, Collin Sexton and Kevin Porter Jr., them getting back out there for game experience is invaluable, and the sooner, the better.

Dylan Windler being set to make his debut for the Cavs, seemingly, should be great to see for Cavs fans and the organization, as Windler, who missed 2019-20 for the Cavaliers due to a stress fracture in his left leg, could bring big-time shooting.

That’d be likely in a key bench role next season, I’d think, but Windler, who hit 40.6 percent from three-point range in a four-year collegiate career at Belmont, could be an instant offense-type contributor even early on.

Now, we’ll have to see as far as what shakes out in the upcoming draft for the Cavs and in the upcoming free agency period. There’s a possibility that unrestricted free agents Tristan Thompson and Matthew Dellavedova aren’t back.

And while I’d eventually expect him to opt into his $28.7 million player option for next season, Andre Drummond could seemingly be moved at some point, it would appear, anyhow.

Recently on an appearance on the Wine & Gold Talk Podcast with Cleveland.com’s Chris Fedor and Hayden Grove, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst even stated he believes the Cavs could trade Drummond and Cedi Osman to the Oklahoma City Thunder in exchange for Chris Paul. Windhorst did make it abundantly clear, though, that that was not at all something he’s heard being discussed, and stressed that.

In terms of more details involving that Windhorst podcast appearance with Fedor and Grove though, you can view those here, and/or regarding the potential pluses/minuses of the Cavs potentially trading for CP3.

Perhaps Drummond sticks around, though, after opt-in, and maybe is instead a trade deadline piece for the Cavs later on? And Cedi hasn’t really been a key subject of trade rumors, for what it’s worth.

In any case, even with a ramped-up offseason, swinging back, to me, the Cleveland Cavaliers should be ready to roll and get back out there in game action, and I’d imagine for the development of young players, in particular.

Rest assured, Sexton, who is all about basketball, and was the Cavs’ 2019-20 leading scorer at 20.8 points per outing, is jumping for joy about the NBA being set to start on Dec. 22. He’s definitely not the only Cavalier, either, I’m sure.