Adam Silver: NBA Won't Deliberate on Season Restart Until May 1

NBA commissioner Adam Silver said on Monday the league won't begin to consider a potential return to play until May 1 at the earliest.

"We should accept that at least for the month of April we won't be in any position to make any decisions," Silver told Turner Sports' Ernie Johnson in an interview on Twitter.

The NBA suspended play indefinitely on March 11 after Jazz center Rudy Gobert tested positive for COVID-19. A slate of other players subsequently tested positive, including Pistons forward Christian Wood and two-time Finals MVP Kevin Durant. 

Silver was on a phone call with President Trump and a slate of other league commissioners on Sunday to discuss the effects of COVID-19. Silver told Johnson the NBA will be "ready to go," when it is deemed safe to return. 

"Beyond crowning a champion, what would the symbolism be of sports starting back up in this country?" Silver said on Monday.

But a thumbs up from public health officials isn't the only determination on whether the league will return. Beyond the attempt to crown a legitimate champion in 2020, the NBA will also have to consider the impact of an extended season on 2020-21.

There are more than 1.2 million confirmed cases of the coronavirus globally across at least 176 countries. At least 70,000 people have died.