NBA Reportedly Discussing a Fall Return for 2019-2020 Season

The NBA cannot confirm a return or cancellation for the 2019-2020 season at this time. However, Brian Windhorst has heard discussions about a potential return for the fall.

Justin Grasso | May 4, 2020

The NBA is in a tough spot currently. After suspending the season indefinitely back on March 11th, the league commissioner Adam Silver couldn't offer a timeline for return. First, team owners and governors agreed to go on a 30-day hiatus from games, transactions, and practice. At this point, we're well-beyond the one-month mark, and the same rules apply.

While there's no return for games in sight, at least the NBA has a plan to allow select teams to begin opening practice facilities for limited player workouts. Many saw that as a sign the NBA could be gearing up for a return in the near future -- but the reality is that there's still no targeted return in sight.

Before, the NBA was rumored to be eyeing a late June, early July resumption. Now, however, there are reported 'discussions' about a potential return in the fall, according to ESPN's Brian Windhorst. "They really do believe that they can get the rest of this season in at some point," Windhorst reported on SportsCenter Sunday.

"Here's the bad news: They don't think it's gonna be able to happen any time soon, and they're going to need that additional runway," Windhorst continued. "And so this may be something that doesn't get played out in final until the fall. There's even been discussion about not restarting until the fall. So, a lot of things on the table, but there is some optimism there that's hidden in these latest moves."

Right now, there's a lot of work going into a potential return for the NBA. As the league studies the bubble-city concept and considers possible neutral locations for it, the NBA is mostly focused on obtaining somewhere around 15,000 COVID-19 tests to be available for if/when the league is back in action. If that's not possible by summer or fall, then neither is a return for the 2019-2020 NBA season.

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

Published May 4, 2020

JUSTIN GRASSO

Title: Credentialed writer/reporter covering the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated’s FanNation Email: JustinGrasso32@Gmail.com Location: Philadelphia, PA Expertise: Reporting, insight, and analysis on the Sixers and the NBA Justin Grasso is a credentialed writer and publisher covering the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated’s FanNation. Grasso got his start in sports media in 2016 with FantasyPros, working the news desk, providing game-by-game player analysis and updates on the Portland Trail Blazers and the Golden State Warriors. By 2017, he joined FanSided’s Philadelphia Eagles site as a staff writer. After spending one season covering the Eagles as a staff writer, Grasso was promoted to become the site’s Co-Editor. For the next two NFL seasons, he covered the Eagles closely before broadening his NFL coverage. For a brief stint, Grasso covered the NFL on a national basis after joining Heavy.com as an NFL news desk writer. In 2019, Grasso joined the 76ers' beat on a part-time basis, stepping into a role with South Jersey’s 97.3 ESPN. Ahead of the 2019-2020 NBA season, he concluded a three-year stint covering the Eagles and joined the Sixers beat full-time. Grasso has covered the 76ers exclusively since then for Sports Illustrated. He is a member of the Pro Basketball Writer’s Association. Twitter: @JGrasso_ Instagram: @JGrassoNBA