New rules aim to pick up the pace

Silver says that fewer timeouts at end of games will make them less ‘choppy’

The NBA Board of Governors has unanimously approved some changes that will potentially eliminate four timeouts per game, help speed up the final minutes of games and emphasize a timely resumption of play after halftime.

Starting next season, teams will be limited to two timeouts in the final three minutes of a game, instead of having up to three, and all four quarters will have two mandatory time-outs, after the 7- and 3-minute marks.

“We’re pretty happy with the length of the game,” NBA commissioner Adam Silver said. “We were more focused here on the pace and flow of the game. What we heard from our fans, what we heard from many of our teams, was that the end of the games in particular were too choppy.”

Silver said the full complement of commercial showing opportunities will still be available to the league’s broadcast partners, and that the league doesn’t believe player in-game rest will be affected by speeding up some aspects.

Also, all halftimes will be 15 minutes and delay of game penalties will be issued if teams are not ready to immediately play when intermission ends.

The league also changed the trade deadline, moving it up so teams would not have their rosters significantly altered during the All-Star break.

This season’s deadline will be Feb. 8, 10 days before the All-Star Game in Los Angeles. Under the old system the deadline would have been Feb. 22.

In other news from the Board of Governors meeting in Las Vegas:

• Silver said the NBA will take “a complete, holistic look” at the one-anddone rule and how prepared players are going into their pro careers.

“I don’t believe the system is working well for anyone,” he said.

• It’s too early, Silver said, to say if the NBA is concerned about the chance that 10 or more teams could be in the luxury tax for the 2018-19 season.

“As the money’s gotten bigger, it’s gotten harder to project future cap and tax levels,” Silver said. “And I think those are all things that we continue to look at. Our teams are smart. They find ways to compete. They work within the existing system but always with one eye on the next time we sit down at the bargaining table.”

Cavaliers get Osman

The Cleveland Cavaliers have agreed to terms with Turkish forward Cedi Osman, whom they drafted in the second round in 2015. The contract is reportedly for $8.3 million over three years. The 6-foot-8 Osman averaged 7.1 points for the Turkish team Anadolu Efes in the Euroleague.

Caldwell-Pope signs

The Los Angeles Lakers have signed free agent guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope to a one-year, $18 million contract. He was among the top talents remaining on the free agent market after spending his first four NBA seasons with the Detroit Pistons. The former eighth overall pick from Georgia averaged 13.8 points, 3.3 rebounds and 2.5 assists last season while starting 75 games.

By agreeing to a one-year deal with the rebuilding Lakers, Caldwell-Pope will be able to hit the market as an unrestricted free agent in 2018. He is suspended for the first two games of next season after being arrested in March and pleading guilty last month to operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated.

Pacers sign Anigbogu

The Indiana Pacers have signed second-round draft pick Ike Anigbogu. Anigbogu, who is 6-foot-10, was the 47th overall pick in the draft. He played one season at UCLA and averaged 4.7 points, 4 rebounds and 1.2 blocks.