Windhorst: NBA 'Looking At' 25-Day Window to Return Amid Coronavirus Pandemic

If there comes a point when the NBA enacts a plan to return to the 2019-20 season, there will reportedly be a 25-day window for players and teams to prepare.

ESPN's Brian Windhorst appeared on SportsCenter and said the league is "looking at a 25-day return-to-basketball window" that would feature 11 days for individual workouts with social-distancing measures in place and 14 days for team training camps before a return to games.

The season has been suspended since March 11 because of the coronavirus pandemic.

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver discussed a potential return to play during an April 6 interview with TNT's Ernie Johnson and said there will not be a decision made on whether the season will continue until at least May.

He also said he was unsure if teams would jump straight into the playoffs or if the league would finish the remainder of the regular season and stressed there aren't any definitive answers at this point as the pandemic plays itself out.

Windhorst previously reported "the NBA is angling to set up a deal that enables them to shut the season down" and, in discussions with the players, had focused more on how to respond financially to a full-out cancellation.

However, Windhorst also said he was "scolded by both the league office and the union for being pessimistic" on The Hoop Collective podcast (h/t RealGM) and said he has "swung from optimism to pessimism" during the course of a number of discussions.

On April 6, Baxter Holmes of ESPN reported the league and its players association have explored using blood-test measures to provide results within 15 minutes during the coronavirus pandemic. Such measures would apparently represent "a critical first step toward resuming play in the near future."

However, the widespread availability of such testing would also be necessary before the league implements such measures.

While the season's fate is still hanging in the balance, it seems teams will need 25 days to prepare for an eventual return.