NBA teams have to abide by new rules in the 2023-24 season.
In the offseason, a new Player Participation Policy was voted on that will impact the biggest names in the league. The tougher rules should make stars more available and curb load management, which NBA commissioner Adam Silver said "has gotten away from us a bit."
What is the NBA's new Player Participation Policy and how does it work? Here's everything you need to know.
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What is the NBA's Player Participation Policy?
Prior to the 2023-24 season, the NBA's Board of Governors approved a new Player Participation Policy.
The focus of the policy is stars, which the NBA defines as any player who has made an All-Star or All-NBA Team in any of the previous three seasons. That includes the likes of Luka Doncic, LeBron James and Nikola Jokic, who were named All-Stars in the 2022-23 season, as well as Ben Simmons and Mike Conley, who were last named All-Stars in the 2020-21 season.
If any star does not participate in a game, their team must demonstrate an approved reason to the league.
As detailed by the NBA, here's what else teams have to do under the new Player Participation Policy:
- Manage its roster to ensure that no more than one star player is unavailable for the same game.
- Ensure that star players are available for all national television and NBA In-Season Tournament games.
- Maintain a balance between the number of one-game absences for a star player in home and road games.
- Refrain from any long-term “shutdowns” in which a star player stops playing games.
- If resting a healthy player, ensure that the player is present at the games and visible to fans.
The general goal is to have stars more available and prevent multiple stars from missing the same game while prioritizing In-Season Tournament and national TV games.
Teams that violate those rules are subject to a fine — $100,000 for the first violation, $250,000 for the second violation, $1.25 million for a third violation and $1 million more than the previous penalty for violations beyond the third, per ESPN's Bobby Marks.
Full list of NBA stars impacted by new resting policy
Here's the full list of players who have made an All-Star or All-NBA Team in the last three seasons, making them "stars" subject to the new Player Participation Policy:
| Player | Team |
| Dejounte Murray | Hawks |
| Trae Young | Hawks |
| Jaylen Brown | Celtics |
| Jayson Tatum | Celtics |
| Jrue Holiday | Celtics |
| Ben Simmons | Nets |
| LaMelo Ball | Hornets |
| DeMar DeRozan | Bulls |
| Zach LaVine | Bulls |
| Nikola Vucevic | Bulls |
| Jarrett Allen | Cavaliers |
| Darius Garland | Cavaliers |
| Donovan Mitchell | Cavaliers |
| Luka Doncic | Mavericks |
| Kyrie Irving | Mavericks |
| Nikola Jokic | Nuggets |
| Stephen Curry | Warriors |
| Draymond Green | Warriors |
| Chris Paul | Warriors |
| Andrew Wiggins | Warriors |
| Fred VanVleet | Rockets |
| Tyrese Haliburton | Pacers |
| Paul George | Clippers |
| Kawhi Leonard | Clippers |
| Anthony Davis | Lakers |
| LeBron James | Lakers |
| Jaren Jackson Jr. | Grizzlies |
| Ja Morant | Grizzlies |
| Bam Adebayo | Heat |
| Jimmy Butler | Heat |
| Giannis Antetokounmpo | Bucks |
| Damian Lillard | Bucks |
| Khris Middleton | Bucks |
| Mike Conley | Timberwolves |
| Anthony Edwards | Timberwolves |
| Rudy Gobert | Timberwolves |
| Karl-Anthony Towns | Timberwolves |
| Zion Williamson | Pelicans |
| Julius Randle | Knicks |
| Shai Gilgeous-Alexander | Thunder |
| Joel Embiid | 76ers |
| James Harden | 76ers |
| Bradley Beal | Suns |
| Devin Booker | Suns |
| Kevin Durant | Suns |
| De'Aaron Fox | Kings |
| Domantas Sabonis | Kings |
| Pascal Siakam | Raptors |
| Lauri Markkanen | Jazz |
The same rules don't apply to everyone, though.
For players who were 35 years old on opening night, had logged 34,000 regular-season minutes or appeared in a combined 1,000 regular season and playoff games, the NBA will allow "pre-approved designated back-to-back allowance."
Here are the players who fall into those categories:
| Player | Team |
| DeMar DeRozan | Bulls |
| Stephen Curry | Warriors |
| Chris Paul | Warriors |
| LeBron James | Lakers |
| Mike Conley | Timberwolves |
| James Harden | 76ers |
| Kevin Durant | Suns |
Can you give an example of how the Player Participation Policy works?
I sure can!
On Oct. 25, news broke that James Harden had returned to the 76ers after being away from the team for 10 days due to a personal matter. According to Bleacher Report's Chris Haynes, Harden was initially expected to travel with the team to Milwaukee for their season opener but not play. It was later revealed that he would remain in Philadelphia to continue his ramp-up.
MORE: Why James Harden was reportedly prevented from boarding 76ers' team plane
On the day of the game, ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported that the NBA was investigating the situation to make sure the 76ers had a valid reason for a healthy star not playing.
"We're looking into the facts around James Harden's availability tonight to determine whether an approved reason exists for his lack of participation," NBA spokesman Mike Bass said.