Report: NBA Players Can Leave Their Team's City with Consultation During Hiatus

The NBA is allowing players to leave their respective home cities as the league remains on hiatus because of the coronavirus, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.

Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium reported players can leave only after first consulting with their teams.

During an appearance on TNT's Inside the NBA on Thursday, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver confirmed he's expecting the league to be on hold for at least 30 days in order to limit the spread of COVID-19.

Per CNN, more than 150,000 cases of the coronavirus have been confirmed worldwide and at least 5,700 people have died. Those numbers are 1,678 and 41, respectively, in the United States.

The NBA's approach to the situation accelerated shortly after Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert tested positive for COVID-19. The Jazz's game against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday was quickly postponed shortly before the tipoff.

Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell subsequently confirmed he tested positive as well, and Charania reported Detroit Pistons forward Christian Wood is the NBA's third positive case.

While Silver left the door open for a fairly expedient return to action, it would appear the NBA won't be back until well into the summer at the earliest.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Sunday recommended an eight-week moratorium on any public events with more than 50 people.

Wojnarowski reported NBA owners and executives are preparing for a "mid-to-late June as a best-case scenario."

One strategy discussed is having the league come back and playing games without any fans in the arena. In that scenario, the NBA playoffs would extend into August, and teams would potentially play in smaller venues since the overall attendance would be minimal.