NBA To Return To Traditional Schedule For 2021-22 Season

June 10, 2021

As expected, the NBA informed teams it will be returning to its normal calendar for the 2021-22 season, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic.Per Charania, the league set the following key dates in making teams aware of the traditional schedule:

Sept. 28: Training camp starts
Oct. 19: Regular season starts
April 16: Playoffs start
June 2: Finals Game 1
June 19: Finals Game 7
June 23: 2022 NBA Draft

While Charania didn’t mention the start of free agency, based on history it is likely to begin either Thursday, June 30 or Friday, July 1 of 2022.

ESPN’s Baxter Holmes reported earlier this week that the league, players’ union and television partners all agreed that a return to a normal schedule would be for the best after the coronavirus impacted each of the previous two seasons.

This year’s draft lottery is scheduled to take place June 22, with the actual draft slated for July 29. The Las Vegas Summer League is set for Aug. 8-17.

Here is a look at this offseason’s key dates:

June 21-27: NBA Draft Combine
June 22: NBA Draft Lottery
July 19: Deadline for an early entry players to withdraw from draft (5 p.m. ET)
July 29: 2021 NBA Draft
Aug 8-17: MGM Resorts NBA Summer League 2021 (Las Vegas)