NBA changes rules for two-way contracts to allow more time for players
The new rules will allow a little bit more flexibility for the Warriors.
With the season set to begin in just a few days, the NBA has announced a minor tweak to the rules regarding two-way contracts. Per a report, travel days will no longer be included in the 45 days of service that a two-way player is allowed.
NBA altered the "days of service" rule pertaining to players on two way contracts. Travel days will no longer count against the 45 day limit for two way contract players in their time with their respective NBA teams. Travel for G Leaguers going back and forth became problematic.
— Jonathan Givony (@DraftExpress) October 12, 2018
This is unquestionably a good move. The 45 days of service time are meant to limit how much a player can impact the NBA team before given a full contract - which comes in the form of games and practices, not flights. This will allow the players on two-way contracts to get more out of their NBA service time, while not having to deal with as hectic of travel schedules.
A change in rules certainly benefits the Golden State Warriors, who figure to rely heavily on their two-way contracts this year. A year after using Quinn Cook in 33 regular season games, and guaranteeing his contract so he could play in the postseason, the Warriors are entering the season with just 14 roster spots filled. One of those roster spots belongs to DeMarcus Cousins, meaning the team will effectively have 13 roster spots filled.
In other words, we can expect to see the two-way contract players (currently Damion Lee and Marcus Derrickson) spending a lot of time on the roster. That they’ll be able to spend more time than we initially thought is a very good thing.