Report: NBA Nearing Agreement on All-Star Game in Atlanta

The league and the players association are negotiating health and safety protocols for what would be a single-night event, including the skills competitions.

The NBA is expected to finalize a deal with the National Basketball Players Association by next week on holding the All-Star Game in Atlanta, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski. The game will happen on March 7, per a memo sent to teams that was obtained by ESPN.

The single-night All-Star event will also reportedly feature the skills competitions in addition to the game between the Eastern and Western Conferences.

The league and players union are finalizing health and safety protocols for getting players in and out of Atlanta for the pared-down event, as well as guidelines for players not at the event who are dispersing for a break from March 5-10.

Players not involved in the All-Star festivities will be permitted to travel within the U.S., including Hawaii, U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico. International travel will not be allowed due to a concern that players would face delays while re-entering the country.

For players who will be at the All-Star Game, they are expected to arrive on Saturday (the day before the event) and leave Sunday night. Players will be tested daily and must return to their home markets no later than the second day before the team's first game following the break. The season will resume with some teams in action on March 11.

Despite comments from Kings guard De'Aaron Fox calling the All-Star game plan "stupid," the league reportedly believes that enough top players have interest in participating. Both the league and players are set to benefit from a windfall of cash generated by the event, which typically garners significant fan interest. 

Though the league has mandated All-Star Game participation for players in the past, the current discussions are believed to include opt-out clauses similar to last season's Orlando bubble setup.