NBA Commissioner Adam Silver informed the league’s Board of Governors to consider July 31 the target date to return to action, according to The Athletic’s Shams Charania.
The NBA has been on an indefinite hiatus until today, waylaid by the coronavirus pandemic interrupting much of contemporary life, including professional sports, for safety reasons.
As of now, the plan is to hold the season in the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida.
Though, the number of teams that will be included and the postseason format are among many issues still to be settled by the league, team governors and National Basketball Players’ Association to determine in the coming days and weeks.
Hornets owner Michael Jordan advocated on the call for player safety, and not simply having players return for meaningless games, sources said. Given the NBA is prioritizing health and safety first and foremost, 30 team return is unlikely. https://t.co/03pAvpDPi7
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) May 29, 2020
Charania relates all 30 teams are unlikely to make the trek to Florida simply to settle the remainder of the regular season for safety reasons, noting Charlotte Hornets lead Governor Michael Jordan as a particularly vocal advocate on that front.
Whether this means a direct-to-playoffs model or some sort of format that will allow only teams close to making the eighth and final postseason spot and higher to be the only teams invited is still unclear, as interested parties will need to take more time to decided upon the best course of action.
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