This week continues to be a crucially important week when it comes to designing how the NBA may return in some form at the Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida. Tuesday brought multiple reports about the NBA mulling a potential FIFA World Cup-style scenario, where teams are put into group play in place of the first round of the playoffs, including an expanded playoff field of 20-to-24 teams.
According to both ESPN.com’s duo of Adrian Wojnarowski and Ramona Shelburne, and The Athletic’s Sam Amick, a 20-team scenario was the main focus of the conference calls that took place today between NBA Presidents on Wednesday, specifically including the four Western Conference teams on the playoff bubble: Portland, New Orleans, Sacramento, and San Antonio. If it expands to 24 teams, that would include Phoenix, Washington, Charlotte, and Chicago. ESPN also reported that the league is looking at allowing family visits for the teams after a collection of teams are eliminated.
Sources: The focus of the NBA's Tuesday's call with team presidents was on 20-team scenarios and the playoffs. Nothing firm yet, but momentum seems to be going against a 30-team approach in Orlandohttps://t.co/mSJECnhJHB
— Sam Amick (@sam_amick) May 27, 2020
One of the big reasons that the 20-team scenario is being talked about more is simply because teams are afraid of the difference in the quality of hotel accommodations between each team, according to Marc Stein of The New York Times.
Prediction: The NBA invites 20 teams to Orlando
*30 too many to host comfortably
*24 too arbitrary + some non-playoff teams want to play and some don't
*16 is fairest if all 30 can't be invited … but 20 is the easiest compromise
*Top 8 in each conference and West 9-to-12
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) May 27, 2020
However, ESPN reported again that while the 30-team proposals have any momentum they once had, the NBA has yet to completely rule it out.
Another wrinkle that is of great importance to the league is getting back international players who have left the United States. The Department of Homeland Security confirmed that NBA players who left the country would be allowed to return now. Among the most notable players, Mavericks star Luka Doncic went to his home country of Slovenia.
Sources: NBA players/staff who are currently outside the United States are now allowed to re-enter the U.S. via new U.S. Department of Homeland Security issue. Prior travel restrictions existed due to coronavirus pandemic.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) May 27, 2020
The NBA is expected to have a Board of Governors call on Friday, but a final decision on format and how many teams will be invited to the NBA’s restart is not expected that soon, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
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