Report: NBA games could possibly resume by late July
Wednesday provided NBA fans with multiple reasons to believe they will see a resumption to the 2019-20 NBA season that was suspended on March 11 after Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert tested positive for the coronavirus.
Earlier Wednesday, Shams Charania and Sam Amick of The Athletic, as well as NBA insider Keith Law, reported that Orlando's Walt Disney World Resort remains the front-runner to host NBA teams and games, and that Disney World is already preparing to become a temporary basketball hub.
On Wednesday afternoon, ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski and Zach Lowe reported that clubs expect to learn of guidelines by around June 1 for the return of players.
Teams may also be allowed to expand workouts and welcome additional team personnel to facilities in early June. From there, it's hoped players, coaches and personnel will quarantine and self-isolate in team markets leading up to training camp sessions.
If all goes according to plan, commissioner Adam Silver, owners and the National Basketball Players Association could agree in June to resume the season by the end of July.
Marc Stein of The New York Times has reported Las Vegas remains a possible NBA hub, potentially for Western Conference teams:
Plenty still needs to be ironed out before the NBA and the players can officially announce any positive news to fans. Protocols for the testing of players, coaches and other personnel must be determined.
The parties must also agree on if it's necessary for all 30 clubs — including those realistically out of the playoff hunt — to participate in what would, for those players, be meaningless games ahead of a postseason tournament.
Multiple reports claim the NHL is considering a 24-team model that includes a pre-playoff round-robin format to conclude its season that came to a halt on March 12.
More must-reads: