NBA team execs reportedly would like In-Season title to count toward … well, something

A guaranteed spot in the playoffs? An extra win in the standings? Or maybe some extra dough for the front office?

That’s right. Some team executives want even more at stake for the In-Season Tournament. And by “more at stake,” we mean more than the tourney title not even counting toward the regular-season standings.

Which is odd, since every other tournament game does count. 

Anyway, commissioner Adam Silver admitted that not everything came off without a single complaint — and that potential adjustments could be on the way. By and large, the tournament was a major success, creating lots of conversation during a fairly mundane time of year for the NBA.

Still, those in the league would like the title game to have some importance, per Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports.

“Plenty of team executives are interested in adding greater incentive to winning the NBA Cup along with the prize money,” Fischer wrote. “Why can’t the players and coaches — and perhaps front-office figures in future years as well — take home extra cash while also awarding the team some further advantage with playoff implications?

“The league did not want to have the IST potentially disrupt its postseason dynamics, and yet that’s been a resounding piece of feedback among team personnel. If a guaranteed spot in the playoffs or play-in tournament would be too rich a reward and could potentially further devalue the regular season, maybe the NBA could offer something as small as one game in the standings to the victor of the championship match, which could effectively give the IST winner an automatic tiebreaker in postseason seeding.”

On the bright side for the rest of the league, Silver said he’s open to suggestions. And it’s safe to say that box will be full before even Christmas arrives.