NBA Expands Playoff Rosters Limit

The National Basketball Association announced today that the league’s Board of Governors has approved the expansion of playoff rosters for the 2006 NBA Playoffs.

In the past, teams carried 12-man rosters during the playoffs. This year, teams will be allowed to carry 13-man playoff rosters although only twelve players will be eligible to play in each playoff game. Teams will be required to deactivate one player prior to each game.

NBA teams will have until 3 p.m. ET on Thursday, April 20 to file their 13-man playoff roster with the league office.

The long-awaited pronouncement from NBA headquarters regarding playoff rosters finally came down Tuesday, and owners unanimously decided that teams will have one extra body to work with in the playoffs.

Teams will be permitted to carry 13 players on their playoff rosters, designating one player as inactive an hour before tipoff -- the regular-season roster limit is 15, with three inactive players.

Some teams argued in favor of 14- and even 15-man rosters, but the Board of Governors rubber-stamped what was recommended by the league office: 13.

"Everybody always has a different view on different issues, and this was no different," NBA vice president Stu Jackson said. "This was an issue where we looked at all the factors and a 13-man roster was in the best interest of everyone."

The issue had been festering all season after the league and the union agreed during collective bargaining talks last summer to do away with the old injured list in favor of an inactive list that can change from game to game. No rules were put in place regarding the postseason, and the issue was the subject of steady debate behind closed doors.

The league`s competition committee discussed the matter at the All-Star Game in mid-February.

"We told the committee we`d kick it around and then put it to a vote," Jackson said. "At the GM level, people wanted to know what the rule will be.

"Because we had provided teams with roster flexibility during the regular season, it made sense to give some of that same flexibility during the playoffs. Thirteen was the number that made logical sense, but we might look at it again in the future as we move forward."

It remains to be seen exactly how the 13-man rule will impact different teams. In the Eastern Conference, it will allow the Detroit Pistons the flexibility to carry perhaps both an extra point guard, rookie Alex Acker, and an extra big man, Kelvin Cato, who was acquired from Orlando in February but did not appear for Detroit until logging five minutes against Indiana on Sunday in the Pistons` 25-point victory.

In the West, Phoenix will be able to put Kurt Thomas on its postseason roster even though there`s little chance of his recovering from a stress fracture in his foot until the conference finals, and San Antonio could keep Sean Marks as an emergency replacement in case Tim Duncan or any of San Antonio`s other big men are injured.

"Thirteen is fine. It`s better [than 12]," said Clippers vice president Elgin Baylor, whose franchise will be making its first postseason appearance since 1997 and will be seeking its first win in a playoff game since 1993.

Among all the playoff-bound teams and the teams fighting for postseason spots, only the Nets and 76ers are currently carrying only 13 players on their rosters. Indiana, Phoenix, Sacramento, San Antonio and Washington have 14, and the Bulls, Cavs, Mavericks, Nuggets, Pistons, Clippers, Lakers, Grizzlies, Heat, Bucks, Hornets, Jazz and Magic are at 15.

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