NBA Prepares Return Plan

The COVID-19 Pandemic produced a plethora of questions concerning the NBA, its plan to return and when the draft will be.

Back To Basketball

According to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst, the NBA is plotting a 25-day plan that would prepare players and teams to get back to competition. Windhorst explained that the first 11 days would consist of individual workouts.

The next phase would bring teams together for two-week training camps. This plan would get players to maintain social distancing at first. It would then allow players to move into phase two, so long as they pass a medical examination. However, the 25-day plan can only be put into play once medical experts signal the go. Windhorst expressed that, “hopefully, at some point, they can enact it.”

In order to avoid delaying the 2021 season, a green light to begin the 25-day plan would need to be given in June so that competition could resume in July. Even a start as early as July would likely mean a condensed playoff at the beginning of August.

NBA-Back To Basketball Plan

Draft Decisions

According to Windhorst, “Right now the NBA is in a Moratorium, what that means is no transactions, you couldn’t trade draft picks or anything like that. So no matter what happens, even if the season doesn’t resume, we will not see a normal draft schedule.”

NBA-Draft Process

Reportedly, right now NBA Commissioner Adam Silver is not making any decisions on any calendar issues until at least May 1. This includes whether the resumption of play and a draft date.

According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, “Many top NBA team executives are united in hoping that the NBA will move back the June 25th draft to no sooner than August 1st. We are told the reason is the inability at this time to conduct many if any, normal pre-draft processes including getting medical evaluations of players or  watching workouts.”

Reporting with @DraftExpress: As information gathering on draft-eligible prospects remains limited in a pandemic, many NBA teams are united in hopes of encouraging the league office to push the date of the June 25 draft until no sooner than August 1. Story soon on ESPN.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) April 10, 2020