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Speaking as part of a panel discussion at the Beyond Sport United
program on Wednesday in Newark, New Jersey, commissioner Adam Silver
said the league might not guarantee a playoff spot for division
winners if they finish out of the top eight in the conference
standings.
Currently, a division winner is guaranteed no worse than a number
four seed in the postseason. The league planned to do away with that
format but now might take it a step further and make division
winners finish the season in the top eight to advance to the
playoffs.
"First of all, it's never happened before that a division winner did
not finish within the top eight, and our basketball analytics folks
calculate that there's less than a 5 percent chance that it would
happen," Silver said. "Where we're leaning right now is that we
would not guarantee a spot for a division winner, in part because
it's so unlikely to happen; and, number two, if it does happen, it
would be potentially confusing to fans. Number three, you would be
displacing a team that did have a top-eight record."
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NBA fans eager to watch teams outside their home television markets
will be in luck starting in October.
The league plans to offer pay-per-view games at $6.99 apiece or $120
for the entire season (82 games).
The plan was part of a digital expansion first discussed last year
by commissioner Silver, who is striving to reach more fans through
platforms outside cable and network television.
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The Orlando Magic will return to London to play a regular-season
game against the Toronto Raptors in January as part of NBA Global
Games 2015-16.
The NBA and Anschutz Entertainment Group announced Wednesday that
the game is scheduled at The O2 arena on Jan. 14. This will mark the
league's sixth regular-season game in London.
The Magic first visited London for a pair of preseason games in
1993. More recently, the Raptors played back-to-back games in London
in 2011, marking the NBA's first regular-season games in Europe.
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Forward Tyler Hansbrough signed a contract with the Charlotte
Hornets.
Hansbrough had played for the Toronto Raptors the past two seasons.
He entered the league with the Indiana Pacers after an All-American
career at the University of North Carolina.
Hansbrough, 29, averaged 3.6 points and 3.6 rebounds per game in
2014-15 with the Raptors.
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The Detroit Pistons signed first-round pick Stanley Johnson to a
rookie contract.
Johnson, the eighth overall pick by the Pistons in the 2015 NBA
Draft, averaged a team-high 16.2 points, 6.8 rebounds, 2.0 assists,
1.8 steals and 1.0 blocks while shooting 57.7 percent at the
recently concluded NBA Orlando Summer League.
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The San Antonio Spurs signed guard Jimmer Fredette.
Fredette spent last season with the New Orleans Pelicans and
averaged 3.6 points and 1.4 assists per game.
In 229 career NBA games with Sacramento, Chicago and New Orleans,
Fredette has averaged 6.1 points and 1.4 assists.
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Houston Rockets guard James Harden was named Most Valuable Player
at the first NBA Players' Awards, beating out Stephen Curry.
Curry, the sharpshooting guard who led the Golden State Warriors
past LeBron James' Cleveland Cavaliers in the NBA Finals in June for
the franchise' first championship in 40 years, finished with 262
points and 75 first-place votes to win the traditional MVP award --
voted on by select media members.
Curry was named by players as this year's "Clutch Performer" and
"Hardest to Guard." Curry and teammates Andre Iguodala, Harrison
Barnes and Festus Ezeli also accepted the award for the best
home-court advantage, which went to the reigning champions' Oracle
Arena. (Editing by Gene Cherry)
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