NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said Tuesday that he doesn’t expect the 2020-21 NBA season to begin until at least January 2021.
Silver’s comments were made in a CNN interview with Bob Costas.
Unlike the end of the 2019-20 season, which was done at a “bubble” complex in Florida, the league plans to play next season in its usual home markets. The NBA’s plan is for a “standard season” with at least some fans in attendance, though they haven’t yet mentioned any capacity targets.
To accomplish that goal, further delaying the start of the season allows additional time for the development of medical treatments and vaccines for COVID-19, which could potentially reduce the risk profile.
The league recently decided on November 18 as its date for the 2020 NBA Draft, with the offseason held shortly thereafter. The ensuing season couldn’t begin until after the 2020 crop of free agents are signed to new contracts, so the timetable of January or later isn’t a big surprise.
Adam Silver, in a CNN interview with Bob Costas, said the goal for 20-21 is "to play a standard season." Said Christmas start is best case, but unlikely. The start of 20-21 season, he said, is "better off getting into January." Said goal to play in home arenas, in front of fans.
— Jonathan Feigen (@Jonathan_Feigen) September 22, 2020
After a delay to the 2019-20 season of more than four months due to COVID-19, the 2020 playoffs won’t end until October. As such, the usual October start date for the next season was already lost. Now, the league’s initial stated target of December is also being pushed back.
With the league still hoping to get in a usual 82-game regular season followed by four rounds of best-of-seven series in the playoffs, it’s hard to see how next season could wrap up by the historical end date of June. As such, it remains unclear if the NBA will be able to send players to the rescheduled 2020 Olympics, which will start in July 2021.
Before the usual NBA calendar was delayed, Houston stars James Harden and Russell Westbrook had expressed interest in competing there.
Adam Silver told CNN a few minutes ago that he does not anticipate the 2020-21 season beginning until at least January (so is it really a 2020-21 season?) and said the league wants 82 games, with playoffs.
At what point do they just say NBA players aren't going to the Olympics?
— Tim Reynolds (@ByTimReynolds) September 22, 2020
As far as other implications for the Rockets, the biggest one is that they could have more time for their ongoing coaching search.
The team definitely needs a head coach in place before free agency, since that’s often an important factor considered by free agents in deciding where to sign. However, if free agency doesn’t begin until late November or early December, that would be more than two months since Mike D’Antoni informed the team on Sept. 13 that he would not return.
On the other hand, depending on who the Rockets want to hire, they might still need to act more quickly — since they could be in competition with several other teams for their desired hire. In other words, their preferred candidate might not want to wait around for the possibility of landing the Houston job, if given a firm offer by another team.
The next year’s regular-season schedule isn’t typically announced until after free agency, with the league setting up its national television slate based in large part on how rosters look following offseason changes. As a result, the 2020-21 schedule for the Rockets and all other NBA teams isn’t likely to come out until at least December.
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Adam Silver said the goal is to play a 'standard season,' next year and that his best guess is it will start in January. pic.twitter.com/bOL3x0RaV8
— theScore (@theScore) September 22, 2020