Report: NBA Teams Mulling a Mid-to-Late June Return

The NBA world is reportedly bracing for the possibility of a mid-to-late June return to action amid the global coronavirus pandemic, as a best-case scenario.

Understandably, there are fears within the League that the entire season may be in jeopardy.

So far, three players have tested positive for COVID-19.

Per ESPN:

Fears exist of a season completely lost, especially based on what some experts see as the slow response of the United States to flatten the curve of the coronavirus and make testing available on a widespread basis. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a recommendation on Sunday night that no events or gatherings should include more than 50 people for the next eight weeks.

The league office has given teams no guidance yet on a timeline for a resumption of play, but organizations themselves are preparing for the possibility of a long hiatus based upon the facts surrounding the coronavirus outbreak.

“Our world has changed since Wednesday’s [board of governors] call,” one team president told ESPN. “The reality isn’t lost on anyone right now.”

For now, there’s a working plan that games would return without fans, and teams have been told to search out arena dates well into August for the playoffs, sources said. Teams have been directed to give the league office potential dates at smaller nearby game venues, including team practice facilities, that could spare the use of empty, cavernous arenas and possibly provide backdrops to unique television viewing lines.

Related NBA: Season Hiatus to Last at Least 30 Days