Report: NBA Commissioner Adam Silver To Propose 22-Team Return Format

With the NBA poised for a return, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver is reportedly set to propose a 22-team return format to the NBA Board of Governors on Thursday.

DALLAS - The NBA has made major strides in recent weeks toward returning to play, allowing teams to return to their facilities, setting preliminary plans on a location to play, and setting a target day for the return. 

Now, commissioner Adam Silver is reportedly prepared to offer his plan for the format in which the league will take upon its return, which, per Shams Charania of The Athletic, will be comprised of 22 teams, with a play-in tournament for the eighth seed.

However, according to Charania, "If the ninth seed is more than four games behind the eighth seed, the eighth seed earns the playoff spot; if the ninth seed is four or fewer games behind, then the eighth and ninth seed will enter a play-in tournament that is double-elimination for the eighth seed and single-elimination for ninth." 

Per a separate report from ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, under this format, 13 teams from the Western Conference would make the cut, while nine teams from the Eastern Conference would participate as well. Wojnarowski also says that each team will play eight regular-season games and that the season would run from July 31st to October 12th. 

Regardless, under this format, the Dallas Mavericks seem to be guaranteed a playoff spot, as they are essentially a lock for the seventh seed, sitting seven games ahead of the Memphis Grizzlies for the eighth seed, and just 2.5 games behind the Utah Jazz for the fourth seed. 

Mavs owner Mark Cuban, who has had a major voice throughout the entire period of the NBA's hiatus, is excited for the potential return of play to the league, as is his team, who he says are chomping at the bit to get back out onto the court. 

"Everbody is just frothing," said Cuban in an interview with Frank Isola on SiriusXM. "Everybody can't wait to get back. You know, these guys are athletes. they're professional basketball players. This is what they love to do and they want to play. And so, you know, everybody is really, really looking forward to figuring this out."