The NBA is gearing up to join other leagues with an official restart plan next week. According to reports from ESPN on Friday, the league is expected to have its ownership vote on a potential plan to restart and finish the season that’s been on hold due to the COVID-19 pandemic since mid-March.
ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported that owners are set to vote on the plan on Thursday, and as details leak out about the potential plan we now know that 20 or 22 teams in playoff contention are expected to restart an abbreviated regular season before deciding playoff seeding and which teams will make the traditional 16-team cut.
Owners are largely planning to pledge support for Silver's final recommedation on a plan, which teams expect to include invitations for 20-to-22 teams to resume the season, sources tell @ramonashelburne, @ZachLowe_NBA and me. https://t.co/8waxNm1Dpc
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) May 29, 2020
The 20 or 22-team restart would keep teams already out of postseason contention at home, which was a topic that got some considerable coverage earlier in the week when some players publicly spoke against potentially joining the bubble league with little to play for.
The important note in the reporting is that owners are largely expected to approve of the measure, which means the vote is merely a formality and basketball will, indeed, return to play later this summer as long as the health and safety of players, coaches and essential staff can be maintained amid the still-ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
