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Jae C. Hong / Associated Press
The wait for a decision on when the NBA season can resume could extend into June, Commissioner Adam Silver reportedly told NBA players on a conference call Friday.
Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium reported Silver said the league will work to mitigate the risk of exposure to COVID-19 until a vaccine is developed and players can expect games to take place with no fans in attendance when the league does resume play:
Additionally, Silver acknowledged it’s safer for NBA players and employees to hold games in one or two central locations rather than flying from city to city.
Silver also said he hopes playoff series would still be seven games in each round, adding that it would be easier if the league played at one site to reduce travel, per ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
According to Charania, Silver also said any player who tests positive for COVID-19 would ideally be isolated in quarantine, but the league would like to see daily testing at that point without stopping play.
Among the most noteworthy items on the call, Silver told players to prepare for the possibility of having no fans in attendance until a vaccine is available, per Wojnarowski, who also reported Silver said the league is looking at new broadcast options to help offset the 40 percent of overall revenue the NBA would lose without gate receipts.
Wojnarowski further reported Silver was upfront in noting the current collective bargaining agreement was not built to withstand an extended pandemic and the financial impact will become a huge challenge for the NBA.
According to Charania, Silver clarified how the league will handle any player who tests positive for COVID-19 after the season resumes, which has remained one of the most crucial obstacles.
Silver is hoping by the time games summarizes that the league will be able to test daily and quarantine any players who are confirmed positive for the virus — games would continue to be played under this plan.
Per Wojnarowski, all 30 owners have expressed their desire to Silver to resume play this season with Las Vegas and Orlando serving as the most popular options to host Eastern and Western Conference play.
In the meantime, players are set to regain limited access to team facilities for voluntary workouts, with multiple teams opening practice facilities Friday and more set to open in the coming days and weeks after the NBA provided guidelines for reopening beginning May 8.
Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports reported Chris Paul, who serves as president of the players union, expressed concern over teams pressuring athletes to return to practice before they feel comfortable.
Silver’s response was to remind players the workouts are optional and to reach out to the league should anyone feel coerced into using team facilities.
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