CLEVELAND, Ohio — Change is coming to the NBA in the 2025-26 season, albeit a small one.
After testing the change at Summer League in July, the league’s board of governors meeting finalized a new rule on Wednesday: Unsuccessful end-of-quarter heaves will now be recorded as a missed field goal attempt for the team, not the player.
Any shot launched within the final 3 seconds of the first three quarters — from at least 36 feet away and on a play that begins in the backcourt — will be counted as a team attempt only.
The goal is to give players the freedom to throw up buzzer-beating prayers without the fear of hurting their shooting efficiency or possible contract incentives.
On the surface, it may seem minor. But in practice, this tweak could unlock a different kind of freedom, the kind that brings life to an arena and swings momentum in games that hinge on energy as much as execution.
Take Craig Porter Jr.’s half-court heave for the Cavs against the Brooklyn Nets at Rocket Arena last season.
Cleveland was dragging, down double digits, and the crowd felt flat. Porter pulled up just before the third-quarter buzzer, buried the shot, and the building roared back to life. The Cavs didn’t win that game solely because of it, but that single moment reset the energy — on the floor and in the stands.
Under the old rule, a player might think twice before letting it fly. Now? That kind of attempt comes without hesitation.
It’s moments like that — not the iconic game-winners, like Max Strus’ 2023-24 miracle three over Dallas or Darius Garland’s dagger against Detroit last season — that this rule is really about. Game-winners are the shots every player dreams about. Whether it’s a drawn-up play or a spur-of-the-moment pull-up with the clock bleeding out. It’s do-or-die time, and the ones who live for those moments relish them, make or miss.
Heaves at the end of the first, second, or third quarter are different. They’re momentum plays. They’re the kind of shots that can flip the energy in a building even if they only drop once in a while.
By shifting responsibility for those misses from player to team, the NBA is giving shooters peace of mind and creating more opportunities for spontaneous theater.
So when the clock ticks under 3 seconds and a Cavalier grabs the ball just past half court, don’t expect him to hesitate. Expect him to launch. Because now, the only thing at risk is the crowd’s gasp. And maybe a highlight clip that goes viral by the time the next quarter starts.
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