The NBA Cup is in the books with a championship already decided. However, the in-season tournament is still evolving, and in a few years it could look very different.
I’m convinced the current tournament is just a placeholder until expansion gets us to 32 in a few years and a proper, single-elimination tournament becomes possible. https://t.co/233RsJrA9v
— Sam Quinn (@SamQuinnCBS) December 13, 2024
Part of that is by necessity, with the NBA rumored to be considering adding two new teams to the league, potentially in Las Vegas, Nevada, and in Seattle, Washington. Having 32 teams would not only change the conferences and the playoff seeding but also potentially the in-season tournament itself.
With 32 teams, the format of the NBA Cup could soon change, with each team possibly being automatically entered into the tournament, with each round being single-elimination until a champion is crowned. That would potentially lead to some interesting outcomes.
What happens if the Washington Wizards knocked off a good team like they did earlier this season against the Denver Nuggets, or an up-and-coming team such as the San Antonio Spurs makes a run? It would make for a more exciting NBA Cup given the uncertainty. Then again, that may not be the greatest thing for the NBA, especially with declining ratings.
One potential change that could draw plenty of interest is a single-elimination tournament where every team plays at least one game.
Currently, the winner of the in-season tournament plays seven games, while a 32-team tournament would only feature the winner playing four games. Adding at least three games to the schedule for the winning team can ultimately be a double-edged sword.
That can add to the wear and tear, especially if they go on a deep playoff run. On the other hand, it could give, say, the Milwaukee Bucks, who just won the NBA Cup, an added boost in confidence after going on a run to the championship.
Having a shortened NBA Cup run might give more teams a chance, but it might also trivialize the tournament with it being harder to sell the importance of four wins in December as being worthy of a championship. Perhaps a middle ground could be that the first two rounds are single elimination, with the round of eight being the best two out of three games.
That would probably be the best of two worlds and ensure that the best teams win. As far as incentives for the winners, having something like an automatic playoff bid and possibly even an automatic home-court advantage are potential options.
That would have playoff implications, with a team such as the Spurs being able to win even though they may not be able to make the postseason otherwise but could get an automatic spot in. All in all, future tweaks to the NBA Cup are likely coming, especially with expansion seemingly inevitable. Depending on the changes, it could make or break the in-season tournament.