It’s looking ever more likely that the NBA is going to invite at least 20 teams to their restart location at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida, but they also reportedly have a date in mind for when they will restart the season and go into the postseason.
The Athletic’s Shams Charania reported on Friday night that NBA commissioner Adam Silver told the league’s Board of Governors that he hopes to restart the season on July 31st, at Walt Disney World’s Wide World of Sports Complex.
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
In addition to the news about the NBA’s target date, ESPN also reported that the Player’s Association has consistently told the league of their desire to play a couple of regular-season games before going into the postseason. However, as we wrote yesterday, that would likely include a play-in tournament for the final playoff seeds.
As it looks right now, there will be some kind of expanded playoff field, but it doesn’t look as if the World Cup-style group stage idea is going to happen unless Adam Silver says so.
[lawrence-related id=31327,31322]