Has the time come for the NBA to cancel the 2019-2020 season?
By Ethan Becker
2021 and beyond
Then there’s another question, how will this all affect next season? At this time, the NBA is looking into a possible December start to the NBA season, which would wrap up around August. While that would leave three months for an offseason, which is what the league normally has, is that the new basketball season we want to have going forward?
A summer basketball season would certainly affect the TV deals, and it may be harder to have an NBA postseason which is competing with the MLB season wrapping up.
Everything that has happened so far–including numerous players being opposed to the bubble idea and flying back to their market city–has led me to one, dark, horrible conclusion: The NBA should just cancel this season.
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It’s the move that makes the most sense. If the NBA cancels this season, they will be able to do everything they need to do in the offseason to prepare for the following basketball season. Here’s how I would imagine everything playing out.
First, the NBA would allow teams until June 10th to re-sign current free agents. It’s a bit unclear on whether teams can re-sign their free agents at the moment, but if the league gave teams a little under a month to do so deals could be worked out.
During that time, the NBA prepares and secures a wireless infrastructure that would allow them to hold any events they needed to in the offseason. Then, the NBA Draft Lottery would take place on June 10th, using the current NBA standings.
The only immediate downside to this is that draft prospects would most likely not be able to do team workouts, as many won’t have access to gyms to hold them in.
Then, on its original date of June 25th, the league could hold its draft virtually in the same manner that the NFL did. Trades would be able to be resumed at the start of the draft, as that would be the start for most team’s offseason.
Following that, the free agency period will begin on July 1st, and the offseason will proceed as it normally would from there. However, players would need to be signed by October 30th.