The NBA will restart the suspended 2019/20 season by replacing the league with a 22-team tournament.
The restart plan was reportedly agreed by the league’s board of governors following a meeting on Thursday.
The 22 teams that will partake in the season’s conclusion consists of the 16 franchises that reached the playoffs before the NBA was suspended.
Meanwhile, they will be joined in the tournament by the six teams within six games of a playoff berth.
Sources: The NBA informed the Board of Governors of scheduled dates:
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 4, 2020
– Training camp: June 30, July 7 travel to Orlando
– 2019-20 season: July 31
– Free agency: Oct. 18
– 2020-21 targets: Nov. 10 training camp, Dec. 1 opening night (can remain fluid)
They are Portland Trail Blazers, Washington Wizards, New Orleans Pelicans, Sacramento Kings, San Antonio Spurs and Phoenix Suns.
ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reports that the league is scheduled to resume on July 31, but the season could officially end on October 12, should there be a Game 7 of the 2020 NBA Finals.
As a precaution, players will be made to undergo uniform, daily COVID-19 testing to know their status.
Should any player test positive, the tournament will still go on but the said player will enter quarantine and receive treatment.
