It appears the
NBA may be considering lengthening the offseason to benefit teams both in the draft and free agency processes. According to ESPN's Jeremy Woo , "the possibility of a longer offseason with more space between draft night and free agency has been discussed in league circles for some time." However, Woo added that "there hasn't been enough traction behind the idea yet, which would create a domino effect with free agency and summer league moving further into the offseason." Mark Bartelstein, CEO of Priority Sports & Entertainment, told
ESPN that he thinks "there needs to be at least a couple week gap between having the draft and diving into free agency." "I don't think it's in anyone's best interest for it to be so condensed," he added. This year's offseason will be tighter as the entire 2023-24 season schedule was pushed back. According to Woo, "team and agency sources have expressed concerns surrounding the condensed nature of this year's offseason." The draft, which will span two days, wraps up less than 72 hours before the start of free agency, which opens on June 30. Both the draft and free agency are crucial for team building, and with not much time between the two this summer, teams could face some difficulty in their preparation.