NBA Owners Believe mid to Late June is Best Time to Return

The CDC is recommending no events with more than 50 people be held for the next two months. If owners follow the CDC's recommendation the NBA season may not get back underway till mid to late June.

Even if we had to wait another three months to see the Thunder back on the court, we'd all agree it would be worth it. However, if the scenario plays out, fans may not be invited to the party.

Per Adrian Wojnarowski, owners believe the season could start back sometime in June without fans. Association scouts are looking at arena dates through August.

CDC recommendation of no events of 50-plus people for next two months comes as a number of NBA owners and executives increasingly believe a best case scenario is a mid-to-late June return to play -- with no fans. League's scouting for possible arena dates all the way thru August.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) March 15, 2020

Of course, this could bring a whole new set of questions for owners, would the draft take place in September, would the 2020-2021 season start in late October or be pushed back? When would free agency start? And if refunds have to be given on tickets, how much is that going to affect the salary cap?

Then there are the G-League players whose season is expected to be canceled. With no place to showcase your talents, what are your next steps?

We are in uncharted waters with no clear direction for the board of governors to follow; it feels like any suggestions are coming from a place of confusion. NCAA president Mark Emmert doesn't help the NBA by saying that Rudy Gobert's positive test for COVID-19 is the reason the men's and women's college basketball tournaments are canceled.

Beyond obvious calender issues, the fact G League teams travel on commericial airlines and generally are money-drains for NBA teams make it even harder to move forward for rest of the season. No imminent announcement and G-League teams have been told to stay in town for now. https://t.co/nd1DdGeoV5
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) March 16, 2020

With a limited supply of tests for coronavirus, there will be pressure on the NBA not to resume until the virus is under control. So, buckle up, this is going to be a long ride.

Update:

Tim Bontemps from ESPN is reporting that the NBA is indefinitely banning team practices. Players will still be able to work out on their own at team facilities.

The NBA is also recommending that teams do temperature checks on anyone entering the building.

In addition, the league has recommended that teams consider using temperature checks on everyone entering their facilities, league sources tell ESPN. https://t.co/AD5xpbfssx
— Tim Bontemps (@TimBontemps) March 16, 2020