With the NBA unlikely to play the 20-21 season with fans in the arena and limited fans under the best case scenario, the financial outlook for the league is uncertain and far less promising than it did before the COVID-19 pandemic started in March.
Adam Silver has estimated that approximately 40 percent of the NBA's once-projected $8.4 billion in revenue came from arenas.
"The truth is, things are changing so fast that, when it comes to next season, the best we can do is put a stake in the ground and make a guess," an Eastern Conference team president said. "The reality is nobody is probably going to operate in the black next season.
"The only question is how much each of us are going to lose."
In order to help the league account for the shortfall, the NBA could withhold as much as 20 percent of players' salaries in escrow as opposed to the typical 10 percent.
