Where Could 76ers Finish the Season? NBA's 'Bubble-City' is Far From Decided

The NBA has had discussions about wrapping up the season in a 'Bubble-City.' However, the idea and rumored locations are far from decided.

Having every NBA team play in a single neutral location without fans to conclude the 2019-2020 season seems like the most realistic scenario at this point. Last month, rumors started floating around about several places being in play to become what many are calling NBA's 'bubble-city' for the 2020 NBA Playoffs.

We've discussed the possibility of the Philadelphia 76ers playing in Atlantic City last month. But lately, it has sounded like the NBA is realistically heading towards playing at their Summer League home in Las Vegas, Nevada. 

While both of those realistic locations are in play, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver wanted to make it clear that a 'bubble-city' is far from selected. In fact, the idea of playing in a bubble-city is just an option at the moment, as nothing is set-in-stone.

"We're looking at all of those things right now," Silver stated on Friday, in terms of having all qualified NBA teams playing in a single neutral location without fans in attendance. 

"In terms of bubble-like concepts, many of them have been proposed to us, and we've only listened. We're not seriously engaged yet in that type of environment because I can't answer the first part of your question, which is, what precisely would we need to see in order to feel that that environment provided the need health and safety for our players and everyone involved?"

As he follows the lead of medical professionals, Silver has made it apparent that he is in no rush to get the NBA back in motion. Therefore, he's stayed on par with the idea of not having any hypothetical return date until at least May 1st. Even by then, Silver is unsure if he will be able to offer up a legitimate estimate on whether the season can come back to crown a champion or not. 

Lately, there has been a sense of optimism growing within the NBA that a return is possible. And if that's the case, it surely sounds like games will resume in one location without fans -- and if oddsmakers were offering opportunities to bet on an area -- the favorite spot would more than likely be Las Vegas.

But as Silver mentioned on Friday, the NBA is just listening to proposals. The league won't make any considerations until they have two of these things: Better data, and large-scale testing. When the number of infections drops and the NBA gets its hands on reliable testing to ensure nobody plays games until they are clear of COVID-19 -- then basketball can make a comeback. At the moment, though, neither of these factors exist. 

Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated. You can follow him on Twitter: @JGrasso_