The NBA’s Board of Governors spoke on a call with commissioner Adam Silver on Friday, and now the league has more certainty for when it could resume.
According to The Athletic’s Shams Charania, Silver and the league office relayed to the Board of Governors that July 31 is a target date for the season to return.
The NBA suspended its season March 11 after Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert tested positive for COVID-19. The pandemic has put the world on pause, but the league has made strides to return. More than half of the NBA’s teams have reopened its practice facilities.
The Philadelphia 76ers reopened their practice facility Wednesday in New Jersey for voluntary workouts.
NBA commissioner Adam Silver and the league office informed Board of Governors that July 31 is a target date for return of season, sources tell @TheAthleticNBA @Stadium.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) May 29, 2020
As the NBA’s likely return picks up more momentum, the league’s owners expect Silver and the National Basketball Players Association (NBPA) to compose a plan within the next week, per ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. The two parties talked different plans but a consensus wasn’t reached.
Per Wojnarowski, the owners are expected to “give Silver the latitude to implement the plan that he lands on with the NBPA.”
As hard as owners and teams are pushing for proposals rooted in some level of self-interest, there's still a sense they'll give Silver the latitude to implement the plan that he lands on with the NBPA. Most expect that'll come inside the next week.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) May 29, 2020
With each team having its own stances, the franchises voiced opinions on how the league should handle the rest of the season. Per ESPN’s Tim Bontemps, 16 general managers said in a survey the NBA should go right into the postseason with the 16 teams that are currently in the playoffs.
Before the season was suspended, the Sixers had a record of 39-26 and were ranked sixth in the Eastern Conference. If the NBA decides to go straight into the playoffs, the Sixers are set to play the Boston Celtics in the first round.
[lawrence-related id=31057,30930,29640,27907]