Windhorst: 'Significant Amount Of Pessimism' That NBA Will Restart Season

[RealGM Wiretap]

The NBA is "angling" for a deal to shut down the rest of the season, sources told Brian Windhorst of ESPN.

"The talks between the players union and the league this week, I've talked to both sides of this issue, and it is clear that the NBA is angling to set up a deal that enables them to shut the season down," said Windhorst during an appearance on Sportscenter.

"Now they don't have to do that yet, and the way they're negotiating they're leaving themselves an option either way, but they're not having talks about how to restart the league, they're having financial talks about what would happen if the season shuts down, and I think there is a significant amount of pessimism right now," added Windhorst.

Windhorst pointed to the Chinese Basketball Association delaying their season as a blow to the NBA's hopes, citing a potential second wave of positive COVID-19 tests in the country caused by asymptomatic carriers.

The CBA delayed the start of their season earlier this week. 

Via Brian Windhorst/ESPN

[IWishIWasHarden]

Oh great.

Now my Rockets can get a center during the offseason and hopefully a new owner also.

Tilman had been trying to stay under the salary cap while the team had been trying to win a championship if you can imagine this.

And this is a man who is from Houston . . . willingly tried to hurt the Rockets to fill his own pockets and he is from Houston. Terribly conceited individual. He should never have purchased the team.

[BigHustle]

Is there a refund for league pass?

[kenwood3333]

Looking at the current situation,the US is barely capable of dealing with the first wave of virus.

[TheCage4]

I have to imagine that this was the mindset from the start despite the constant talks of “restarting” the season.

We have to favor realism over optimism, health and safety over money. I know it’s hard to swallow, but it’s the right move.

Shut down the NBA & NHL for the remainder of their seasons. Postpone MLB until the summer, leave the NFL to start normal if they can.

Let’s start getting something right.

[Vegeta10176]

I have to imagine that this was the mindset from the start despite the constant talks of “restarting” the season.

We have to favor realism over optimism, health and safety over money. I know it’s hard to swallow, but it’s the right move.

Shut down the NBA & NHL for the remainder of their seasons. Postpone MLB until the summer, leave the NFL to start normal if they can.

Let’s start getting something right.

NFL will not be starting normal and NBA won't be able to get up and running either.. I doubt the NBA will even really start it's new season in October it really is disappointing but its a pandemic that won't really end until there is a vaccine..

[Sam195]

I have to imagine that this was the mindset from the start despite the constant talks of “restarting” the season.

We have to favor realism over optimism, health and safety over money. I know it’s hard to swallow, but it’s the right move.

Shut down the NBA & NHL for the remainder of their seasons. Postpone MLB until the summer, leave the NFL to start normal if they can.

Let’s start getting something right.

NFL will not be starting normal and NBA won't be able to get up and running either.. I doubt the NBA will even really start it's new season in October it really is disappointing but its a pandemic that won't really end until there is a vaccine..

Canada is flattening that curve much better than the US. The NBA could host all its intended few regular season games to finish a shortened season and a potential playoffs infront of fan absent arenas exclusively in major Canadian markets like Toronto,Ottawa,Vancouver, Montreal, Edmonton, Calgary and Halifax to name a few cities. The virus spread, testing capacity and lack of ventilators seems like it is going to be a recurring issue for the US during the pandemic even when current states with outbreaks peak and decline but a state like Nevada that hasn't been hit very hard yet will likely soon see a spike in cases which could screw the nba's plans to exclusively finish the regular season and conduct the playoffs in Las Vegas again.

[Knick4Real]

The thing to remember here is that this is a GAME... which ends with someone receiving a metal trophy. So, the point is, playing a GAME just to finish a season is irrelevant in the midst of a global pandemic. Basically, a nuclear bomb exploded and impacted the earth. In that scenario, would we still be talking about a game or about survival?? Yeah, I know all about the ramifications of who gets the #1 draft pick and all that, but we have to consider priorities. And in the scope of life, a GAME ain't one of them.

[WC NBA Fan]

Everything that I've heard is that they were trying to do anything and everything possible to salvage a season so that all the games they played this season don't go wasted.

If that's so, they can do that and still salvage what everyone played for.

Let's say that they conclude that it's gonna take a year to safely return to normal, whatever normal turns out to be. Rejoin the season in 2021 right where it ended in 2020. March 11th or the 2nd Wednesday in March. Re-start the season with the exact same schedule that we were gonna play in 2020 only it's in 2021.

Opening night is the Pelicans and Sacramento as well as the Thunder and Jazz. Add whatever other games got cancelled, if there were any. For ceremonial purposes, you could even have the Thunder doctor run FROM the court to the locker room as a symbol of what the night stands for. Consider it the one and only time a team doctor gets a standing ovation.

No free agency between now and then. Exact same rosters. Everyone's contract moves back a year. For example, if your contract was up in 2022, it will now be up in 2023.

No draft either. If you have already applied for the draft, it gets voided. Those guys have the option of going back to college to study, do the TFerg/Lamelo thing and play in a foreign league if it's safe or just do the Mitchell Robinson thing and work out on their own for a year.

Until then, no money comes in and no money comes out. If players need assistance, billionaire owners can front as much as they need then deduct it for when games start up again.

Instead of the 2019-20 season, we call it the 2019/20/21 season. No games go to waste and we wait until it's safe to play in front of crowds of 18,000 again, assuming it's safe a year from now.

I'm not suggesting the entire business sector do this. We're gonna have to start up a lot earlier than that. Most businesses don't require 18,000 people to be in one place at once. Let small and big businesses alike get their feet back on the ground then take care of the non-essentials and big crowd businesses down the road.

[Dr Huge Pecs]

Oh gee.... well i still hope the players get priority in testing over everyone else.... and all the super fancy face masks...maybe a sponsorship for facemasks...to make ends meet

I would like to see a game played in face masks actually...actually hazmat suits, why not? Get on it NBA because everyone gives a TOTAL s*&#

[StarH2O]

How about just end the season there and do a March Madness type tournament with the current seeds with best out of 3 series or something.

[Dick Tate]

I have to imagine that this was the mindset from the start despite the constant talks of “restarting” the season.

We have to favor realism over optimism, health and safety over money. I know it’s hard to swallow, but it’s the right move.

Shut down the NBA & NHL for the remainder of their seasons. Postpone MLB until the summer, leave the NFL to start normal if they can.

Let’s start getting something right.

NFL will not be starting normal and NBA won't be able to get up and running either.. I doubt the NBA will even really start it's new season in October it really is disappointing but its a pandemic that won't really end until there is a vaccine..

Canada is flattening that curve much better than the US. The NBA could host all its intended few regular season games to finish a shortened season and a potential playoffs infront of fan absent arenas exclusively in major Canadian markets like Toronto,Ottawa,Vancouver, Montreal, Edmonton, Calgary and Halifax to name a few cities. The virus spread, testing capacity and lack of ventilators seems like it is going to be a recurring issue for the US during the pandemic even when current states with outbreaks peak and decline but a state like Nevada that hasn't been hit very hard yet will likely soon see a spike in cases which could screw the nba's plans to exclusively finish the regular season and conduct the playoffs in Las Vegas again.

Flattening the curve means you’re making it wider. One of the first places on the continent that can host a future event will likely be New York.

[SkywalkerAC]

Everything that I've heard is that they were trying to do anything and everything possible to salvage a season so that all the games they played this season don't go wasted.

If that's so, they can do that and still salvage what everyone played for.

Let's say that they conclude that it's gonna take a year to safely return to normal, whatever normal turns out to be. Rejoin the season in 2021 right where it ended in 2020. March 11th or the 2nd Wednesday in March. Re-start the season with the exact same schedule that we were gonna play in 2020 only it's in 2021.

Opening night is the Pelicans and Sacramento as well as the Thunder and Jazz. Add whatever other games got cancelled, if there were any. For ceremonial purposes, you could even have the Thunder doctor run FROM the court to the locker room as a symbol of what the night stands for. Consider it the one and only time a team doctor gets a standing ovation.

No free agency between now and then. Exact same rosters. Everyone's contract moves back a year. For example, if your contract was up in 2022, it will now be up in 2023.

No draft either. If you have already applied for the draft, it gets voided. Those guys have the option of going back to college to study, do the TFerg/Lamelo thing and play in a foreign league if it's safe or just do the Mitchell Robinson thing and work out on their own for a year.

Until then, no money comes in and no money comes out. If players need assistance, billionaire owners can front as much as they need then deduct it for when games start up again.

Instead of the 2019-20 season, we call it the 2019/20/21 season. No games go to waste and we wait until it's safe to play in front of crowds of 18,000 again, assuming it's safe a year from now.

I'm not suggesting the entire business sector do this. We're gonna have to start up a lot earlier than that. Most businesses don't require 18,000 people to be in one place at once. Let small and big businesses alike get their feet back on the ground then take care of the non-essentials and big crowd businesses down the road.

Definitely not the worst idea.

[Badbobby]

Everything that I've heard is that they were trying to do anything and everything possible to salvage a season so that all the games they played this season don't go wasted.

If that's so, they can do that and still salvage what everyone played for.

Let's say that they conclude that it's gonna take a year to safely return to normal, whatever normal turns out to be. Rejoin the season in 2021 right where it ended in 2020. March 11th or the 2nd Wednesday in March. Re-start the season with the exact same schedule that we were gonna play in 2020 only it's in 2021.

Opening night is the Pelicans and Sacramento as well as the Thunder and Jazz. Add whatever other games got cancelled, if there were any. For ceremonial purposes, you could even have the Thunder doctor run FROM the court to the locker room as a symbol of what the night stands for. Consider it the one and only time a team doctor gets a standing ovation.

No free agency between now and then. Exact same rosters. Everyone's contract moves back a year. For example, if your contract was up in 2022, it will now be up in 2023.

No draft either. If you have already applied for the draft, it gets voided. Those guys have the option of going back to college to study, do the TFerg/Lamelo thing and play in a foreign league if it's safe or just do the Mitchell Robinson thing and work out on their own for a year.

Until then, no money comes in and no money comes out. If players need assistance, billionaire owners can front as much as they need then deduct it for when games start up again.

Instead of the 2019-20 season, we call it the 2019/20/21 season. No games go to waste and we wait until it's safe to play in front of crowds of 18,000 again, assuming it's safe a year from now.

I'm not suggesting the entire business sector do this. We're gonna have to start up a lot earlier than that. Most businesses don't require 18,000 people to be in one place at once. Let small and big businesses alike get their feet back on the ground then take care of the non-essentials and big crowd businesses down the road.

Definitely not the worst idea.

I love this idea. Not so sure the draft concept is the best idea but I can’t think of a better one

[hippesthippo]

Oh great.

Now my Rockets can get a center during the offseason and hopefully a new owner also.

Tilman had been trying to stay under the salary cap while the team had been trying to win a championship if you can imagine this.

And this is a man who is from Houston . . . willingly tried to hurt the Rockets to fill his own pockets and he is from Houston. Terribly conceited individual. He should never have purchased the team.

Aren't a majority of his assets in the hotel industry? Do you think it's possible he sells the team when this is all over?

[objectivefan]

NFL will not be starting normal and NBA won't be able to get up and running either.. I doubt the NBA will even really start it's new season in October it really is disappointing but its a pandemic that won't really end until there is a vaccine..

Canada is flattening that curve much better than the US. The NBA could host all its intended few regular season games to finish a shortened season and a potential playoffs infront of fan absent arenas exclusively in major Canadian markets like Toronto,Ottawa,Vancouver, Montreal, Edmonton, Calgary and Halifax to name a few cities. The virus spread, testing capacity and lack of ventilators seems like it is going to be a recurring issue for the US during the pandemic even when current states with outbreaks peak and decline but a state like Nevada that hasn't been hit very hard yet will likely soon see a spike in cases which could screw the nba's plans to exclusively finish the regular season and conduct the playoffs in Las Vegas again.

Flattening the curve means you’re making it wider. One of the first places on the continent that can host a future event will likely be New York.

you present an interesting way of looking at this


without a cure/vaccine on the horizon, one could argue that you are better off getting the virus, getting well and moving on instead of prolonging the inevitable. But hey everyone has an opinion and that is mine.

[TheCage4]

Canada is flattening that curve much better than the US. The NBA could host all its intended few regular season games to finish a shortened season and a potential playoffs infront of fan absent arenas exclusively in major Canadian markets like Toronto,Ottawa,Vancouver, Montreal, Edmonton, Calgary and Halifax to name a few cities. The virus spread, testing capacity and lack of ventilators seems like it is going to be a recurring issue for the US during the pandemic even when current states with outbreaks peak and decline but a state like Nevada that hasn't been hit very hard yet will likely soon see a spike in cases which could screw the nba's plans to exclusively finish the regular season and conduct the playoffs in Las Vegas again.

Flattening the curve means you’re making it wider. One of the first places on the continent that can host a future event will likely be New York.

you present an interesting way of looking at this


without a cure/vaccine on the horizon, one could argue that you are better off getting the virus, getting well and moving on instead of prolonging the inevitable. But hey everyone has an opinion and that is mine.

That’s a fair assessment. Try it. Hopefully your body is strong enough to beat it and, you know, not die. Oh, and lest not forget, once you have it you’re still not immune to catching it again.

[Batsy]

Everything that I've heard is that they were trying to do anything and everything possible to salvage a season so that all the games they played this season don't go wasted.

If that's so, they can do that and still salvage what everyone played for.

Let's say that they conclude that it's gonna take a year to safely return to normal, whatever normal turns out to be. Rejoin the season in 2021 right where it ended in 2020. March 11th or the 2nd Wednesday in March. Re-start the season with the exact same schedule that we were gonna play in 2020 only it's in 2021.

Opening night is the Pelicans and Sacramento as well as the Thunder and Jazz. Add whatever other games got cancelled, if there were any. For ceremonial purposes, you could even have the Thunder doctor run FROM the court to the locker room as a symbol of what the night stands for. Consider it the one and only time a team doctor gets a standing ovation.

No free agency between now and then. Exact same rosters. Everyone's contract moves back a year. For example, if your contract was up in 2022, it will now be up in 2023.

No draft either. If you have already applied for the draft, it gets voided. Those guys have the option of going back to college to study, do the TFerg/Lamelo thing and play in a foreign league if it's safe or just do the Mitchell Robinson thing and work out on their own for a year.

Until then, no money comes in and no money comes out. If players need assistance, billionaire owners can front as much as they need then deduct it for when games start up again.

Instead of the 2019-20 season, we call it the 2019/20/21 season. No games go to waste and we wait until it's safe to play in front of crowds of 18,000 again, assuming it's safe a year from now.

I'm not suggesting the entire business sector do this. We're gonna have to start up a lot earlier than that. Most businesses don't require 18,000 people to be in one place at once. Let small and big businesses alike get their feet back on the ground then take care of the non-essentials and big crowd businesses down the road.

Definitely not the worst idea.

I love this idea. Not so sure the draft concept is the best idea but I can’t think of a better one

That's a ridiculous idea. No draft and extended contracts against the player's consent? They are better off starting a brand new season if this goes on past June or August.

[SkywalkerAC]

Definitely not the worst idea.

I love this idea. Not so sure the draft concept is the best idea but I can’t think of a better one

That's a ridiculous idea. No draft and extended contracts against the player's consent? They are better off starting a brand new season if this goes on past June or August.

October/November could still be far too dangerous for crowds. Contracts are already being adjusted downwards based on the lost games/revenue, more complicated legally to extend them a year but...not the worst idea.

[Pickled Prunes]

I love this idea. Not so sure the draft concept is the best idea but I can’t think of a better one

That's a ridiculous idea. No draft and extended contracts against the player's consent? They are better off starting a brand new season if this goes on past June or August.

October/November could still be far too dangerous for crowds. Contracts are already being adjusted downwards based on the lost games/revenue, more complicated legally to extend them a year but...not the worst idea.

Good Idea, but you're asking the NBA (league, owners, players, etc.) to give up $8,000,000,000 in revenue. (That's 8 billion!) Even if it is the most practical solution, I don't expect the league to take the most expensive solution.

If they did want to play out the season after the all-clear, they could play a 58 game season next year and fulfill most of their national TV obligations.

Either way, I would still have a draft based on current records and let the rookies join the D-league team until after the playoffs. Some of those guys need income! I would also only extend the players that were on expiring contracts until the end of the season.