OAKLAND, CA – JUNE 05: Richard Jefferson #24, LeBron James #23, Tristan Thompson #13 and Channing Frye #9 of the Cleveland Cavaliers sit on the bench during Game 2 of the 2016 NBA Finals against the Golden State Warriors at ORACLE Arena on June 5, 2016 in Oakland, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

Are you sick and tired of buying tickets to an NBA game to see your favorite star players in action only to find out they’re taking the night off to get some rest? If you are one of those fans who have been burned by the Spurs or Cavs or Warriors giving their star players a night off for the one game you attend every season, then the NBA wants to help you out.

USA Today reports that NBA owners are expected to approve new rules designed to address the resting of players during the course of the regular season, with the aim of reducing the number of games healthy players are given the night off. The report, citing an anonymous source with direct knowledge of the potential rule change, suggests there will be consequences for teams found to be in violation of the rule. The rule is expected to be put in place for the upcoming season following a Board of Governors meeting, which is when the rule will be formally voted on.

So what exactly are the consequences for violating the rule? And won’t it be pretty simple to get around the rule by listing players on an injury report? Time will tell exactly how this new rule will be implemented and enforced, but we do know it is an issue NBA commissioner Adam Silver has referenced in the past year. Given how intense some debates have gotten regarding whether it is right for star players to take nights off when otherwise healthy, it makes sense the NBA would want to find a solution to what some consider a huge problem even if it helps the best teams make a deep playoff run.

The NBA has already taken measures to relax the schedule a bit to make it easier on players, like no longer forcing a team to play four games in five nights (how that ever happened we’ll never understand; this isn’t baseball) and reducing the number of back-to-back nights. Kevin Durant previously said all the fuss about resting really only related to a small handful of players around the league. He may be right, but the precedent has been established and it is now a trend that could spread to more players the longer it is allowed or unrestricted.

The push to adjust any rules regarding the resting of players will be good for fans buying tickets, but the more important focus for the league as a whole will be with the television product. Too many times were games appearing on national airwaves only to be missing the most marketable of players. That’s just a bad look for the NBA, and that may be the driving force behind any push to cut down on the number of nights being taken off by key players.

This doesn’t guarantee you will see LeBron James or Kevin Durant when they come to town, but it may increase the chances you get to see them play in your home arena, and that’s a good thing for the fans in attendance and watching at home.

[USA Today]

About Kevin McGuire

Contributor to Athlon Sports and The Comeback. Previously contributed to NBCSports.com. Host of the Locked On Nittany Lions Podcast. FWAA member and Philadelphia-area resident.