NBA Expected to Make Decision on 2019-20 Season in 2-4 Weeks

On a Board of Governors call held Tuesday, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver outlined the options that the league is weighing before trying to resume the season. The league could adopt a “campus environment” if play does return to minimize health risks, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski:

Asked about the bubble-isolation plan on the call, Silver described it as a “campus environment,” sources said. He has talked about one or two locations for players, and the focus continues to be on Orlando’s Walt Disney World Resort and Las Vegas, sources said.

Silver is focused on players and team officials being comfortable if a positive test for the coronavirus arises, Wojnarowski says:

Discussions centered on health and safety concerns, including the goal of getting team officials and players comfortable with the idea that a positive test for the coronavirus upon a return would not shutter play.

Silver told those on the call that if a positive test would “shut us down, we probably shouldn’t go down this path.”

The call also brought news that the NBA will make a decision on the 2019-20 season in two-to-four weeks, after it evaluates key factors surrounding the coronavirus:

The NBA shared with owners several factors that it plans to study over the next two to four weeks before deciding on restarting the league.

Among them, sources said: Understanding the trajectory of new cases in those states starting to reopen, understanding who is getting severely ill and why, and developments in testing types. The NBA also is studying how other leagues are handling positive tests among participants, sources said.

Wojnarowski notes that those on the call felt “positive” and “encouraged” by the league’s efforts to restart play. You can read more from his report here.