Teams like the Mavericks would be able to allow players to return to the facilitiesNBAE/GETTY IMAGES
Mavericks Owner Mark Cuban said he was "caught off guard" by the report that NBA players can return to team facilities in states that have eased stay-at-home restrictions, noting teams have "gotten no guidance from the NBA at this point." He called opening team facilities "a little bit premature" ("The Situation Room," CNN, 4/26). Meanwhile, in S.F., Connor Letourneau reported the Warriors "will continue to follow San Francisco's stay-at-home restrictions in terms of deciding when to reopen team practice facilities for players." S.F. Mayor London Breed recently indicated that it is "'very likely' that city officials would extend the shelter-in-place order for residents" past the current May 3 date. A source said that no Warriors players "are expected to fly to Georgia to work out in a gym" after that state loosened its stay-at-home restrictions last week (S.F. CHRONICLE, 4/26).
INSIDE THE DECISION: ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, who broke the story, said, "There was a call on Thursday with the league's general managers and the league office. Adam Silver was on that call, and he heard some of his general managers talking about players calling their teams and their front offices and saying to them, 'Should I get on a plane and go to Georgia, or go to a state that’s opening up, so I can get legally into a gym?'" Wojnarowski: "For all teams, they would prefer that a player would be in one of their own facilities, which they can keep clean, that they can keep much safer than a public fitness center." Wojnarowski explained how teams are reacting to facilities reopening, saying, "Even some of the smaller market teams whose doors might open sooner than the larger markets … are saying 'we’re talking about competitive balance now. In free agency it’s certainly not an advantage for us, maybe it is here.'" Wojnarowski: "I still hear a lot of concern about safety, and whether it's a good idea at all for any of these facilities to be opening up" (“SportsCenter,” ESPN, 4/26).
REACTION TO EASING RESTRICTIONS: In L.A., Dan Woike reported the move to reopen facilities "isn’t a move to restart the season as much as it is a reaction to an increasing number of states easing restrictions" (L.A. TIMES, 4/26). In Houston, Jonathan Feigen echoed the "change in the NBA policy is not seen as an indication that the league is closer to restarting its season since it still would not permit players to gather in groups" (HOUSTON CHRONICLE, 4/26). The Boston Globe's Gary Washburn said the move is a "step in the right direction towards a return, but I also think the emphasis here is states that have loosened their stay-at-home orders." Washburn admitted there are "so many questions" about when and if the season could resume, saying the NBA "does not mind pushing their season into the fall and pushing the 2020-2021 season back a little bit" (“After Hours,” NESN, 4/26).
MARKET RESEARCH: In N.Y., Marc Berman cites a source as saying that with N.Y. and other COVID-19 hot spots still in lockdown, teams in those markets would be "helped out" by the NBA "if May 1 becomes the day for opening league facilities." The league would "take the initiative in finding gym spots for Knicks and Nets players to work out in whatever city they are quarantining." Plans are "still fluid" (N.Y. POST, 4/27). In Ft. Lauderdale, Ira Winderman noted the NBA's move "would reduce temptation for players" to shoot at public parks or "travel to states where gyms are re-opening." Meanwhile, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said on Saturday, "We’re not doing in-person sports yet, no matter what. That’s just not going to happen in May. I'm not in a rush to do anything; I'd rather do it right" (South Florida SUN SENTINEL, 4/26).
