As the NBA charges toward a potential resumption of the 2019-20 season in Orlando, some players may end up opting out of the action.
‘Faction’ of NBA players not sure if restarting in Orlando is a good idea
ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski shared Wednesday evening that there is a “faction of players discussing as a group whether restarting season in the Orlando bubble is a good idea.” He noted that “several dozen” players participated in a conference call to discuss it.
Additionally, Wojnarowski shared that there is expected to be a provision allowing players to sit the restarted season out without any threat of league discipline. The players would lose a portion of salary for the games they missed, if they opt out.
Wojnarowski highlighted that players who are cleared to play can still opt out without consequence.
One concern players may have is that positive cases of COVID-19 have been spiking in central Florida recently.
According to the Orlando Sentinel, “Orange County has experienced a 64% increase in the number of COVID-19 cases between May 5 and June 9.”
NBA restart plans: Season is slated for July in Orlando
Walt Disney World Resort, in Orlando (Orange County), is the proposed location for the NBA’s restarted season.
The NBA and NBPA agreed on a plan to start the season back up with 22 teams, allowing for some competition before the playoffs. After each team plays a few exhibition games, the regular season is set to resume on July 31.
There will be no fans in the stands, and there are key restrictions and protocols in place to ensure distancing measures, and testing.
If some players are still uncomfortable with the way things are set up, it appears they will have an avenue available to them.