With the coronavirus spreading all over the world, nobody knows yet whether the NBA season will resume or be canceled eventually.
The league has suspended the season for at least 30 days, yet it seems this precautionary measure will last longer.
Seven NBA players have been tested positive for the virus so far, with two of them playing for the Utah Jazz, one for the Detroit Pistons and four for the Brooklyn Nets.
Given that things will become worse in the coming weeks, what are the different scenarios regarding the outcome of the 2019/20 season?
In the best-case scenario, the league could return to action in early June, following the CDC recommendation of no events of 50-plus people for the next two months.
In that case, the NBA would want the regular season and playoffs to continue as planned. Consequently, the season could end in late July or early August.
On the other hand, if the situation gets out of control, the league could cancel the rest of the regular season and teams will immediately enter the postseason. If that happens, the 2019/20 season will come to an end during the summer (July or August).
In the worst-case scenario, if the coronavirus crisis is not contained until the summer, then the NBA will have no other option but to cancel the season and start preparing for the 2020/21 season.
For its part, the league and team owners want to resume the season and stick to the schedule, otherwise the repercussions will be severe, especially financially.
That’s why league executives examine different options that will enable them to find the best possible solutions in the coming weeks.
If the season resumes, it is very likely games will be played behind closed doors at the teams’ practice facilities or the G-League facilities.
At the same time, the NBA wants the regular season to resume at least for a while, because otherwise they may be forced to refund local TV networks, if teams don’t play at least 70 games in the season.
The league is expected to provide updates as we come closer to the end of the suspension (mid-April), so nobody can be 100% sure how things will unfold.
At the same time, and with no games scheduled to take place in the coming weeks, betting websites and companies, like ThaiPokerLeak, focus their attention on other NBA news and keep updating their odds.
Such news include Tyronn Lue and whether he will take over the Brooklyn Nets or if Kevin Durant could be ready to play once the season resumes.
But, once the NBA provides an update on the current situation, bookmakers will shift their attention to whether or not the season will come to an end, despite the coronavirus crisis.
