NBA is nearing a plan for resuming the season

NBA appears on its way to a return, but should it be?

Transcript

00:00The NBA seems poised for a return with Orlando and Disney World being the likely destination

00:13site.

00:14For more, I'm joined by our senior writer, Chris Mannix.

00:17Chris, first of all, is it almost inevitable now that the NBA season will resume?

00:21Yeah, I think they've crossed a number of different hurdles and now it's just working

00:26out the logistics for an eventual return.

00:30Some of the teams that I've been talking to, it seems like there's a timeline that's starting

00:35to develop here where June 15th, you get all players back at the facilities, end of June,

00:41you get training camp started, and mid-July, you restart some form of season.

00:47Now it remains unclear if that season is going to include just playoff teams or the more

00:53likely scenario, every team in the league playing some number of games to wrap it up,

00:58but it does seem like we are maybe at the five-yard line towards starting a new season.

01:05You mentioned the logistics, there have been talks of a bubble city, Adam Silver's referred

01:10to it as a campus-like environment, but I saw Jared Dudley say that the players wouldn't

01:14exactly be confined there.

01:16Yeah, I mean that's one of the things I think that's still being worked out, right?

01:21How does all this work?

01:23How many players are at one place?

01:26How many family members can they bring with them?

01:28Where are they ultimately allowed to go?

01:30The comments made by Jared Dudley were really interesting because you look at it as kind

01:34of being a weak option here, like what if one player goes off campus, contracts coronavirus

01:41and spreads it before he has detected himself?

01:44That would sabotage an entire season.

01:47I mean, I don't think anybody likes the idea of a top-tier team like the Lakers or Bucs

01:52being quarantined in one location for a period of months, but that may be the only way to

01:59get a season started or restarted in a safe manner.

02:02Adam Silver's made it clear, if we have to shut down the season based on one positive

02:08test, it's not worth coming back.

02:10The only way to kind of make it as safe as possible really is effectively quarantining

02:15these players and a handful of family members in one location.

02:19And it does seem like the league and the players for the most part are on the same page, correct?

02:25Look, I think that there is a difference of opinion in whether players, even owners, executives

02:32want to come back.

02:34There is relative unanimity in that if it means the betterment of the financial health

02:40of the league, which it does, everybody will come back.

02:43So players may not want to play, but if it affects their bottom line, which it does,

02:49they will play.

02:50Trace, appreciate your time as always.

02:52You got it.