According to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, NBA owners and executives have pegged mid-to-late June as the period on the calendar that represents a best case scenario for the league to return.
Worse than that, the fear that the season will be completely lost also reportedly exists, especially since the U.S. has been so slow to make COVID-19 tests widely available. On Sunday night, as bad news continues to pour in about the pandemic, the CDC recommended that no gatherings of more than 50 people take place for the next eight weeks.
"Our world has changed since Wednesday's [board of governors] call," one team president told ESPN, in reference to the night the league suspended operations. "The reality isn't lost on anyone right now."
Projections for just how much will be lost in revenue is expected to be shared with league front offices soon.
These projections are expected to be based on three separate scenarios. The first will be the costs of restarting the season without fans in the stands. The second will be playing playoff games with fans. And the third will be shutting down the season entirely.
Commissioner Adam Silver is said to be encouraging the league to be open to experimenting in response to the unique challenge that's been presented.
Wojnarowski reports that there's a working plan to bring back the league without fans, and teams have been told to look into arena dates that could be secured, potentially for a postseason in August. Teams have also been told to give the NBA brass dates that could be used at nearby (see: smaller) venues beyond their home arenas. Teams will also reportedly be instructed to potentially give backdrops to see what type of viewing lines could be acquired if/when games at those venues are televised.
Meanwhile, players have been told that they can leave their team's cities.
