NBA Tests One-Shot Free Throws, Cuts Staff

The NBA is transforming Las Vegas into a high-speed laboratory, testing a radical one-shot free throw rule and sensor-embedded balls to accelerate gameplay, while simultaneously executing a painful corporate restructuring to fuel international ambitions. The Summer League will serve as the primary testing ground for a new format where players take a single free throw worth one point, receiving the ball on the sideline if missed. This experiment aims to eliminate the stoppages that slow down the game.

Alongside the rule change, the league is deploying a ball embedded with sensors to track real-time data, pushing the boundaries of how the sport is played and analyzed. While the on-court product gets a facelift, the league office is undergoing a stark contraction. The NBA is slashing dozens of jobs across domestic operations, a move designed to reallocate capital toward a new European venture and necessary technological upgrades.