NBA: Kings' Luke Walton Says 'Nobody's Pressing' For Return Right Now

Early on last month, the NBA pulled off the unthinkable. The league went on an unexpected hiatus. Fast forward to late April, and rumors of a return are still non-existent. If you ask Sacramento Kings head coach Luke Walton about the situation, he will tell you that nobody is really pressing for basketball to come back at the moment.

Sure, players and coaches would love to take the court today if it was allowed, but most understand the circumstances at the moment. Before the league went on suspension, the NBA made it clear to players and coaches just how severe the coronavirus was.

Now with the season suspended because of the pandemic's breakthrough in the league, it's apparent that nobody wants to risk players, fans, coaches, and team staffers health just to play a game of basketball.

Recently, Kings' Luke Walton was asked about the current situation going on in the NBA, and he had the same response as everybody else. "Honestly, I have no idea [when the NBA will return to action]," Walton told ESPN's Nick Friedell. "Everyone wants to play," he admitted. "But everybody understands top priority is the safety of players. So as much as everyone wants to get back to playing, nobody's really pressing it because we know what's most important."

Luke Walton's mindset is on par with many. While the NBA isn't ready to give up on a potential return, franchise governors and the Commissioner Adam Silver aren't going to risk players' safety just to crown a champion for the 2019-2020 season. Calling it quits isn't what any player or coach wants, but everybody, including Walton, understands the circumstances.

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