RealGM

Also, those eight teams understand that players who will be free agents this summer likely will have a different view on taking part in team activity, so mandating something for those players isn’t very realistic. 

_s_t_u_r_t_ wrote:
Wonder why, though, if you think you can create a relatively acceptable bubble environment for 22 teams' roster of players and coaches, you'd be inclined to think you couldn't for just 8 somewhere. Maybe that's just me.

The NBA has progressed on a plan for the eight teams not in the season restart to practice and possibly hold group workouts next month, three sources with direct knowledge of the league’s discussions told the Observer.

This would allow the Charlotte Hornets and seven other teams not at Disney’s campus dramatically more activity than currently allowed. The proposal under discussion — which has not yet been approved by the league or the players union — would include:

▪ A week of practice at individual teams’ home facilities, starting the second week of August.▪ Possibly two weeks of group workouts hosted by two teams not in the restart. Those cities have not yet been finalized. Teams traveling would likely be contingent on the players union approving teams scrimmaging each other.

All three sources described talks as moving along, to the extent an announcement could come next week.

A key factor in all this is approval from the players association, required for any offseason organized practices. Union executive director Michele Roberts said last month that any activity by teams not at Disney would have to conform to the same stringent health and safety standards for the restart “bubble.”

Mitch Kupchak and the other seven general managers affected have lobbied hard over the past month for more practice time. For now, individual players can work with up to two coaches on skills development. However, players can’t work out against each other in a team facility.

Hornets coach James Borrego has said that puts the eight teams not at Disney at a significant competitive disadvantage. Without some loosening of the rules, the Hornets and the other seven teams could go more than eight months without any group or competitive activities.

Vince Carter playing with Hawks again?

NBA legend Vince Carter recently announced his retirement, but there’s a bit of a chance we may see him on the court again before it’s all over. During a conversation on the Winging It podcast, Carter was asked about the potential ‘Delete Eight’ games involving the teams not currently in the Orlando bubble. The 43-year old swingman said: “I’ll be there. If it happens, I’m gonna go out there, work with the guys … I don’t know . I don’t know, it’s a question mark. But I’ve definitely will go out there and work out with the guys and just be a part of it. You know, I got to take advantage of that as long as I can. Because when it’s over, it’s over. So they’ve also extended me the opportunity to go out there, if it happens, to do whatever. And I just want to lend a hand.”

He supported the recent suggestion because, for young teams like his Atlanta Hawks, competition and repetition are both necessary for long-term success. The wing added that the folks currently at Disney World will enter next season with more rhythm than those who were not invited. As it stands, some players will enter 2020-21 having not played in an NBA game since March. Carter said that “unfortunately” he does not think that it will happen because there are many who did not want to participate: “From what I hear, there’s some guys out of the eight teams outside of the teams that don’t want to play either, but I’m like, well, guess what? You would have been playing in summer league right now anyway.”

– via HoopsHype