Video: Oklahoma City Thunder Ready to Resume Season
By the end of July, the Oklahoma City Thunder will be playing basketball again. But, before they can get back on the court, a few steps must be taken.
The Thunder must first get all their players back in Oklahoma City. The team will not go public with who is in town at the moment, but we know Darius Bazley, Terrance Ferguson, and Danilo Gallinari are all in town. Once players are back, there will be individual workouts before the training camp starts on June thirtieth.
The Thunder will fly to Orlando on July seventh, where they will likely quarantine for a period. While the NBA is still in ironing out all the details, there is a chance that teams could play exhibition games before the season resumes.
Oklahoma City still has to take care of some in house business as well. Bazley's health is still in question. Even though he participated in a Skinz League game here in Oklahoma City, the Thunder must find out if he can give them 14-17 minutes a game.
Luguentz Dort's status needs to be addressed. Will Dort continue to play on a two-way contract, which would not allow him to participate in the postseason.
And then there is Andre Roberson, could we see Roberson back after sitting out over two-years? According to The Athletic, Roberson could play now if the league hadn't stopped.
If you're wondering why there will be an eight-game ramp-up before the playoffs, it's simple. If the regular had been canceled, players could have lost as much as $645,000,00. By adding 88 games to the schedule, players will lose only $300,000,000 per ESPN.
If all goes according to plan, the NBA will crown a champion in early October, and next season will start on December first. Buckle up; it's time to tipoff.
