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What happens if the NBA regular season is canceled?

By Nick Crain

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA - MARCH 06: Zion Williamson #1 of the New Orleans Pelicans reacts against the Miami Heat during a game at the Smoothie King Center on March 06, 2020 in New Orleans, Louisiana. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images)
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA - MARCH 06: Zion Williamson #1 of the New Orleans Pelicans reacts against the Miami Heat during a game at the Smoothie King Center on March 06, 2020 in New Orleans, Louisiana. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images) /
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Zion Williamson
NBA (Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images) /

If the NBA regular season were to be completely canceled, it would have a major impact not only on teams this season but also on the future of the league.

On March 11, just over a week ago, the NBA was temporarily suspended. After Rudy Gobert tested positive for coronavirus, the fate of the remainder of the 2019-20 season was in the air.

From what we know right now, all options are open. There is a chance the regular season will resume down the road, the regular season could be canceled and we go straight into the playoffs, or the entire season as a whole could be ended. There is also an infinite number of other possible scenarios the league could come up with as well.

Fans, players, coaches, front offices, and many more are wondering what the next steps might look like. COVID-19 could end up posing a threat for many more months to come. You have to imagine the NBA will get creative and find a workaround to quarantine players and other key personnel and finish out the season in some capacity without live fan interaction. At this point, it seems extremely unlikely that fans watch another game in person this season.

If the NBA regular season were to be canceled and the playoffs were to start immediately upon the suspension being upheld, there would be many teams that would be directly affected. Additionally, there would be implications on the league as a whole both in the short-term and the long-term. What might a situation like this look like?

Let’s start by taking a look at what teams would benefit from the NBA regular season being cut short and jumping straight into the playoffs.