NBA in Talks to Restart Season Late July in Orlando

The NBA is in talks with Disney to restart the 2019-20 season in late July at the ESPN Wide World ofSports ComplexinOrlando, Florida, according to NBA spokesperson Mike Bass. 

"The NBA, in conjunction with the National Basketball Players Association, is engaged in exploratory conversations with The Walt Disney Company about restarting the 2019-20 NBA season in late July at Disney's ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Florida as a single site for an NBA campus for games, practices and housing," Bass said, via Marc Stein. "Our priority continues to be the health and safety of all involved, and we are working with public health experts and government officials on a comprehensive set of guidelines to ensure that appropriate medical protocols and protections are in place."

As Stein added, a late July restart indicates a return to actual games is likely to be later than many around the league have been anticipating. This would open up a fascinating possibility of the NBA season running close to the start of, or at the same time as the football season.

There's still a lot to be determined here. Particularly, if the season would bypass the remaining regular-season games and go directly into the playoffs. If that's the route taken, I'd like to see them spice it up with the rumored "Playoff Plus" idea:

The NBA season has been in suspension since March 11, due to the coronavirus pandemic.

2020 has been full of bad news. But, all of sudden, it's more likely than not we are setting up for the most jam-packed, thrilling sports summer and fall we've had yet.