Load management has taken center stage in discussions within the Association in recent years, prompting the NBA to implement a significant change aimed at curbing excessive player absences during the season. In essence, the league has introduced a new policy allowing fines of over $1 million to be imposed on teams found in violation of resting rules for their star players.

The NBA has introduced a new provision that permits pre-approved designated back-to-back allowances for players who meet specific criteria. These criteria include players who are either 35 years old on the opening night of the season or have accumulated career workloads of 34,000 regular-season minutes or 1,000 regular-season and playoff games combined, according to sources.

In cases where a team believes that a star player falls into this category and is unable to participate in back-to-back games, they are required to provide written information to the NBA at least one week in advance, outlining the reasons for limiting the player’s participation. Notable star players who meet these criteria include Chris Paul, Mike Conley, Stephen Curry, LeBron James, Kevin Durant, DeMar DeRozan, and James Harden.