Latest On NBA Players’ Discussions

Following the decision not to play today’s three postseason games, NBA players are meeting on Wednesday night to discuss next steps, and ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reports (via Twitter) that those talks are centering on whether to continue the playoffs or end the season.

So far, according to Wojnarowski, there appears to be momentum for players to sit out the three postseason contests scheduled to take place on Thursday, but nothing has been decided yet.

NBPA president Chris Paul, NBPA vice president Andre Iguodala, 17-year veteran Kyle Korver, and Clippers head coach Doc Rivers are among those who have spoken at tonight’s meeting, per Wojnarowski (via Twitter). The meeting is ongoing, with coaches having just been asked to step out of the room as players meet privately, according to Zach Lowe of ESPN (Twitter link).

Multiple reports this evening have suggested that a number of players are in favor of completing the 2019/20 season. However, Chris Mannix of SI.com (Twitter link) has heard a few players express tonight that sitting out one game is “meaningless” and merely symbolic.

Players are demanding an action plan and want to see something from NBA team owners, tweets Mannix. If those team owners don’t step up and help address issues such as voting and police reform, there’s a sense that the season will be in jeopardy, Mannix adds (via Twitter).

As Ramona Shelburne of ESPN relays (via Twitter), Bucks players spoke earlier today to Wisconsin lieutenant governor Mandela Barnes, who said the most important thing they could push for is “action at every level of government.”

“They just wanted to know what they could do,” Barnes said (Twitter link via Shelburne). “They wanted something tangible that they could do in the short- and long-term. They wanted the walkout to be step one.”

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