Report: NBA Has A ‘Target Date’ For Return Of Season

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The NBA has been off since mid-March, as the country deals with the fallout of COVID-19. We’ve seen the return of some sports begin, both here and overseas, and now we have a timeline for when basketball may be able to finish up.

The league shut down on Wednesday, March 11. Utah Jazz star center Rudy Gobert was the first major sports star in the U.S. to test positive for COVID-19. Others followed, including his star teammate Donovan Mitchell, and others like Brooklyn Nets standout Kevin Durant.

According to NBA insider Shams Charania, the league is hoping to return in the middle of the summer. He is reporting that commissioner Adam Silver has set a target date of July 31 for a return to action. That will put the total shutdown at over 20 full weeks.

Other details on how things will shake out are not yet firm. It is looking likely that the league will try and play at a single site, likely at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex, a Disney property in Orlando. There is also a significant debate over how to proceed with the season and playoffs.