NBA polls fans, hints at ideas for discussed midseason tournament

While the NBA's idea for a midseason tournament at first seemed a bit far fetched and difficult logistically, the league is pushing beyond just talking about the idea around the league office water cooler.

Thanks to some digging by NBC Sports, we now have some details on what, specifically, the league is thinking with this idea. The league reportedly sent out a survey to fans who are a part of the NBA Fan Forum program, and within the survey there were context clues as to potential workings of said midseason tournament.

Here are some notable points, courtesy NBC Sports:

• It would take place in January or February, with the finals possibly at All-Star weekend (or with the tournament replacing the All-Star game entirely).
• The format would likely be a single-elimination tournament, like March Madness.
• International teams could be invited; it's possible not all NBA teams would be included each year.
• Potential rewards for winning include special playoff seeding, a guaranteed playoff berth, or a monetary prize.

Again, these are all just discussion points pulled from a survey, and asking the questions doesn't necessarily mean the league is sure to go that route, but it's interesting nonetheless.

The biggest hurdle is probably that the season is already a long, grueling process, and it's unclear if the incentive structure could be designed such that teams wouldn't rest their stars. But it's very, very early in the process, and the potential revenue boost from such an event is such that the league is wise to explore the possibilities here.