The idea that the NBA could really finish its season over the summer has never felt more real than it does today. First, it was reported that Disney World had achieved clear favorite status as the venue for a resumed NBA season. Next came the news that NBA teams are expecting guidelines from the league that will allow teams to begin bringing players back to their home markets and expanding workouts as a step towards bringing the season back, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski and Zach Lowe.
Under the current timeline, NBA games could begin as soon as the middle of July. While no firm timeline is set in stone, getting players back to their home markets by June 1 would theoretically give teams over a month to prepare. According to Wojnarowski and Lowe, that would include a quarantine period, an individual workout period of one-to-two weeks and a mini training camp of two-to-three weeks to help get players and teams back up to speed. While there are still a number of details that need to be ironed out before resuming the season would be possible, the NBA is currently working out what format the remainder of the season could take, including a possibly concluded regular season or play-in tournaments for the playoffs.
Before any resumption of the season is possible, there are still a number of issues that need to be worked out. If there will indeed be some sort of bubble at Disney World, it needs to be established who will and will not be allowed inside of it, and what the consequences will be for breaking those rules. While the NBA may not shut down over a single positive test, a true outbreak would likely be enough to end the 2019-20 season for good.
There is also the matter of the league's long-term finances to sort out. It has previously been reported that the salary cap could drop significantly. A compromise to prevent that is likely forthcoming, but what form that could take is still up in the air, as is the form of pay for players involved in this resumption. Currently, players are under a 25 percent pay cut to help offset the league's financial issues.
How these questions will ultimately be answered is unknowable for the time being, but at the very least, there seems to be some degree of optimism. The NBA appears to be planning as if the season will indeed finish.
