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Woj: NBA 'Hopeful' 22 of 30 Teams Open Facilities for Workouts by Monday
May 13, 2020
ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported that the NBA is "hopeful" 22 of its 30 teams will be able to open their facilities for voluntary, individual workouts under heavy restrictions amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Cleveland Cavaliers, Utah Jazz, Orlando Magic, Miami Heat, Sacramento Kings, Denver Nuggets, Toronto Raptors, Portland Trail Blazers and Philadelphia 76ers have all opened their facilities for such practices over the past few days, per NBA.com. The Houston Rockets plan to do the same no earlier than Monday, May 18.
The NBA allowed facilities to reopen on Friday, May 8.
Optimistic signs that the NBA, which has been suspended since Wednesday, March 11 because of COVID-19, will resume the 2019-20 season.
"Beyond the league office, the majority of the NBA's owners, executives and star players have been hopeful about resuming the season," Shams Charania of The Athletic wrote. "The players union reiterated in a memo to player agents on Tuesday that the players and league both want to finish the 2019-20 season if it is safe."
Charania also noted that Commissioner Adam Silver told the league's board of governors that a decision to resume or cancel the season would be made within the next two to four weeks.
That's in addition to most NBA teams likely opening their facilities.
Still, the NBA must traverse numerous obstacles in order to return to play.
"The biggest issue is the number of [COVID-19 tests], and we can't take tests from those who need it," a source told Charania.
A source also told Wojnarowski that the league would plan to standardize testing leaguewide.
The league would also need to hash out and finalize the logistics for playing all games at one or two locations. Charania had more:
"How would a potential return look? One or two locations—such as Disney World in Orlando or Las Vegas — and this playing grounds environment that Silver described Tuesday: Players/personnel able to move around, but undergo testing upon re-entry. This would mean that people involved in the isolated city environment would be re-examined before any return to the remainder of the pack. It would not be a strict 'medical bubble,' Silver said to the players and again on Tuesday."
One potential hurdle as far as holding games in Florida was cleared Wednesday when Governor Ron DeSantis announced that professional sports teams are welcome to play in Florida as long as they do not participate in front of fans.
The NBA was suspended with approximately one month's worth of regular-season games left. Presumably, teams would be able to get through the slate quicker without the need for extensive travel.
Ultimately, all indications are that the league is close to resuming play, although nothing is set in stone.