By Antigoni Zachari / info@eurohoops.net
As COVID-19 keeps spreading in the US, the NBA is faced with serious economic damage that could cost nearly $1 billion in profit, which brings rescheduling on the surface.
There is “resounding ownership support for finding a way to resume the season,” according to Sports Illustrated, even if it means games will be played in July/August through September, most likely affecting the beginning of the next season.
With this significant amount of loss in revenue affecting both teams and the league in case the season gets canceled, the NBA has already warned teams of a potential decrease in the salary cap, after a decline also in TV ratings. So at this point, resuming the season remains of vital importance.
For this to happen, there could be a radical change in scheduling and NBA officials support a possible change. Per SI’s report, Evan Wasch, the NBA’s senior vice president of strategy and analytics, said the league would have “no issue” with restructuring the schedule.
A change in the calendar will also affect the NBA Draft that takes place in June and would complicate things for draft prospects that are called to choose to either declare or return to college basketball.
Of course, changing the schedule won’t happen overnight. If the NBA extends the 2019-20 season and carries it out over the summer, the start of the 2020-21 season could be moved back, allowing the league a test run on a new timetable.