What started as a 30-day hiatus for the NBA is looking increasingly like it will stretch at least into June as the United States continues to deal with a growing number of coronavirus cases.
The Centers for Disease Control released a recommendation Sunday that public gatherings be limited to no more than 50 people for the next eight weeks.
Even without fans, a typical NBA game easily would be pushing that threshold with the number of players, coaches, training staff and officials – not to mention media – who would be present.
In the wake of CDC’s latest announcement and the overall fluidity of the pandemic, the NBA and its teams reportedly are preparing for a possible return to action in mid to late June according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
That timetable, according to Wojnarowski, remains the best-case scenario.
The news took some players by surprise, including Orlando Magic shooting guard Evan Fournier, who posted on Twitter, “Man I woulda never thought it would come to this.”
Last week, Magic shooting guard Terrence Ross was seeking suggestions for Netflix shows to watch after the NBA suspended the season.
The Magic have not been given any specific timetable or other information from the league about an extended hiatus from play, according to a league source.
It’s clear the pandemic continues to drive the decision-making at the league level.
NBA commissioner Adam Silver, in a letter written last week to fans, offered a minimum 30-day hiatus for the league, but also wrote that the season would not resume until “it becomes safe for all concerned” in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak. Silver also has acknowledged the uncertainty of the situation plays a role in what paths the league can take.
The league’s initial moratorium on player travel has been lifted but stipulations remain, according to reports. Players can leave their respective markets but must maintain communication with their teams and provide updates on their whereabouts.
In addition, players are not allowed outside of North America due to the travel bans implemented by the U.S. government and the significant virus outbreaks in Europe and Asia.
One league stipulation requires that anyone still expected to be under self-isolation or quarantine because of exposure to the coronavirus must remain so until they have been cleared by a medical professional, according to ESPN’s Tim Bontemps, citing a memo sent out by the NBA.
Also, the initial ban on organized team practices that had been in place through Monday has been extended indefinitely.
Individual workouts, however, remain on option for players. Some Magic players have come into Amway Center to work out, according to a team spokesman. Under the league guidelines, the workouts are being limited to three players at a time and are being scheduled as necessary, he said.
As far as scenarios go, the NBA likely will provide projections on three: what it will cost financially to end the season, playing games with no fans in the arena or holding playoff games with fans, according to Wojnarowski.
The league appears to be looking closely at the third option.
If the postseason were to start based on the current NBA standings and postseason rules, the Orlando Magic would earn a playoff bid.
Playoffs normally start the weekend after the regular season ends. For this season, the first-round series would have begun April 18. The NBA Finals were set to begin June 4, giving the postseason roughly eight weeks to play out.
Starting the NBA Finals in August would put the playoff start in June, barring any changes to the current seven-game series formats applied to each round.
The league has asked teams to seek out smaller venues, including team practice facilities, that potentially could be used for games under a working plan that the season would resume without fans, Wojnarowski reports.
Marc Stein of the New York Times reports the NBA is looking at the availability of those venues – including G League facilities – through the end of August.
It also remains to be seen what kind of an impact an August finish would have on the 2020-21 regular season.