Report: NBA Discussing ‘Step-By-Step’ Plan to Resume Season

The NBA continues to search for ways to resume the 2019-20 season in some capacity after suspending play on March 11 due to the spread of the coronavirus. According to Adrian Wojnarowski and Zach Lowe of ESPN, the league is discussing a “step-by-step” plan outlining a possible timeline for play to resume by sometime in July:

The league is discussing a step-by-step plan for a resumption of the season that includes an initial two-week recall of players into team marketplaces for a period of quarantine, one to two weeks of individual workouts at team facilities, and a two- to three-week formal training camp, sources told ESPN.

Barring an unforeseen turn of events, many NBA owners, executives and National Basketball Players Association elders believe commissioner Adam Silver will green-light the return to play in June — with games expected to resume sometime before the end of July, sources said.

Wojnarowski and Lowe also mention that the league is still considering a two-site format if play returns; The Athletic reported that the league is in serious talks with Disney World to be the sole host of games should the season resume.

The recent reports, however, don’t touch on key details like players’ living arrangements or the inclusion of their families if the NBA settles on a specific site like Disney World. ESPN’s Brian Windhorst said earlier this month that the league isn’t interested in a bubble where family members aren’t allowed, so any plan to try to resume play will need to take families into account.

Furthermore, some GMs have expressed concerns about play resuming given there are older coaches and staff members around the league. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention warns that people 65 and older, along with those who have preexisting conditions, are at higher risk for severe illness or death from COVID-19.

The NBA is expected to make a decision on the 2019-20 season within the next couple of weeks.