The NBA is making sure that star players play with new policy

FILE – The NBA logo in shown on a basketball court in Lake Buena Vista, Fla., in this Friday, Aug. 28, 2020, file photo. Pacers coach Rick Carlisle says his new team has a “very high” vaccination rate but declined to give a specific number because of privacy concerns. He did say Monday during NBA media day that all members of the Indiana coaching staff are fully vaccinated. Carlisle is back in Indiana, where he coached from 2003 through 2007. Training camps open Tuesday and the pandemic will affect a third NBA season and already means some players will be missing on media day.(AP Photo/Ashley Landis, Pool, File)

by: Larry Hawley

Posted: Sep 13, 2023 / 03:42 PM CDT

Updated: Sep 13, 2023 / 03:46 PM CDT

NEW YORK — After many years of debate over the resting of star players by teams, the NBA has announced a new policy to address it.

This is being done to ensure that the league’s best athletes are available as much as possible.

Here is the full Player Participation Policy that will take effect in the NBA in the 2023-2024 season.
.@WGNNews pic.twitter.com/gp8wiCl8hR
— Larry Hawley (@HawleySports) September 13, 2023

This new Player Participation Policy will go into effect at the start of the 2023-2024 season with the focus being on standouts in the league.

So what defines a “star player” in this new policy?

Anyone selected to an All-NBA team in the last three seasons
Anyone selected to an NBA All-Star Game the last three seasons
A player with two previous All-Star Game appearances who makes the 2024 All-Star Game would be subject to the policy for the rest of this season.

For that group of players, there are now guidelines that teams must follow when it comes to playing them throughout the regular season unless there is an approved reason for the player not to participate.

The roster must be managed so that no more than one star player is unavailable for the same game.
Star players are available for all national television and NBA In-Season Tournament games.
Balance the one-game absences for star players between home and road games.
Avoid long-term “shutdowns” of star players.
Those star players who are resting are in attendance and visible to fans at the games.

What are the exceptions to these rules?

Injuries.
Personal reasons.
Pre-approved back-to-back restrictions based on player age, career workload, or serious injury history.

Per these rules, the Bulls’ players that would fall into the “star player” category are guards DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine along with center Nikola Vucevic.