The NBA seems to be gearing up for a resume to the 2019-20 season, and Adam Silver’s plan reportedly consists of a 22-team playoff format, according to The Athletic’s Shams Charania. The NBA commissioner will propose the plan in a Board of Governors meeting Thursday and it will include details about the draft lottery and combine, which are expected to be held in August, sources told Charania.
The remainder of the season will likely be played at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Fla. at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex and will consist of the 16 teams currently in a playoff spot, six additional teams and include a play-in tournament for the eighth seed.
Charania went into more detail about the play-in tournament for the eighth seed:
“If the ninth seed is more than four games behind the eighth seed, the eighth seed earns the playoff spot; if the ninth seed is four or fewer games behind, then the eighth and ninth seed will enter a play-in tournament that is double-elimination for the eighth seed and single-elimination for ninth. ESPN first reported the league was working on 22-team models.”
Silver and the NBA are reportedly targeting a July 31 restart date, and the league is expected to propose more medical protocols in the coming days, as well including bench players sitting in spread out rows, inactive players sitting in the stands, no guests until the playoffs and players must shower in their hotel rooms versus at the arena, Charania states.
Disney’s Coronado Springs likely will be the hotel to host the teams returning to action, Yahoo’s Keith Smith reports, and an agreement could be reached as early as this week.
