NBA Exploring June Return, G-League Season Likely Over

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – If the NBA hopes to finish the 2019-2020 season, it may have to be willing play games late into the summer. Sunday night the Center for Disease Control released a recommendation that any event larger than 50 people be put on hold through the next eight weeks. That would mean any games featuring full rosters, coaching staffs, and necessary game operations members are recommended to be put on hold until mid-May.

ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski said the league is examining the possibility of teams returning to action in mid to late June, playing in arenas without fans.

Wojnarowski tweeted that team owners are believing the June date may be best-case scenario.

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

One of the many hurdles for NBA teams is finding enough open dates on their arena calenders to play the games. Most arenas use the summer to schedule concerts and other events to fill the dates between professional seasons.

As the NBA holds out hope that the league may return this summer, Wojnarowski, reporting with Malika Andrews also tweeted that the fate of the G-League season might not be so lucky.

In a tweet, Wojnarowski said NBA teams operating G-League affiliates expect the rest of the season to be canceled.

Reporting with @malika_andrews: NBA teams operating G League franchises expect rest of the minor-league season will soon be cancelled, sources tell ESPN. Regular season runs thru end of March, playoffs into April. Players have been informed they'll be paid thru end of schedule.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) March 15, 2020

The cancelation would end a fairytale season for the Salt Lake City Stars who have the second-best record in the G-League and the best record in the Western Conference at 30-12. The regular season was due to end March 28 with the playoffs extending through April.

The Stars were led in scoring by Jazzman Rayjon Tucker who had played just three games with the team, averaging 20.3 points per game in his recent outings. Jazz two-way player Jarrell Brantley averaged 18.8 points.

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