Pacific Notes: Kings, Cook, Warriors, Clippers
The Kings will place more than one third of their full-time workers on four-month furloughs beginning June 1 due to the coronavirus pandemic, Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee reports. The employees were informed in an email from President of Business Operations John Rinehart. The furloughs will impact approximately 100 workers but the front office, health and performance, and scouting/analytics staffs will not be affected.
We have more from the Pacific Division:
- Lakers guard Quinn Cook detailed all the precautions being taken at the team’s practice facility after it was reopened. In an Instagram post relayed by The Los Angeles Times’ Tania Ganguli, Cook said even his shoes were not exempt. “We had to leave whatever we wore, whatever shoes and flip-flops we wore, we had to leave them outside,” he said. “We had to wash our hands as soon as we walk in the door. Once we get inside, all of our stuff is kind of right there on the court.” Cook and Devontae Cacok were the only two players to use the facility on Saturday, according to Ganguli. Veterans Jared Dudley and Danny Green were planning to use the facility on Monday.
- Guards Derrick Rose, Tomas Satoransky and Reggie Bullock are among the guards the Warriors could target with their $17MM trade exception, Grant Liffmann of NBC Sports Bay Area opines. The Warriors obtained the large exception in the Andre Iguodala trade with Memphis last summer.
- The Clippers’ workout plan during the stoppage of play should have them well-prepared whenever practices and games resume, as Jovan Buha of The Athletic details. The Clippers held weekly group workouts over Zoom as well as chats with famous athletes, along with creating personalized home workout rooms for each player. The organization ordered equipment to ensure each player could work out from home via video calls with individualized player-coaches and strength trainers.
Coronavirus Notes: New York, California, Texas, Nance, More
Governors from New York, California, and Texas all said on Monday that they’re moving toward allowing professional sports to resume – without fans – in their respective states.
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo stated in his daily news conference that the state is a “ready, willing, and able partner” for sports looking to resume (link via ESPN); California’s Gavin Newsom estimated that pro sports would be able to move forward in California – with restrictions in place – starting in early June (Twitter link via Anthony Slater of The Athletic); and Greg Abbott of Texas said that his state is targeting May 31 for professional sports without spectators (Twitter link via Anna M. Tinsley of The Fort Worth Star-Telegram).
These updates may not be particularly pertinent when it comes to the resumption of the NBA season. The league appears to be focusing on the idea of playing in one or two neutral locations, with Las Vegas and Walt Disney World in Florida believed to be the top contenders. As such, we may not see NBA games played in New York, California, or Texas anytime soon.
Still, the increasing number of states giving the go-ahead to professional sports is a positive sign for the NBA and other sports leagues. Barring setbacks, those announcements bode well for NBA teams being able to get back into their own buildings for the 2020/21 season.
Here’s more on the COVID-19 pandemic and how it’s impacting the NBA:
- Cavaliers big man Larry Nance Jr., who has Crohn’s disease, isn’t as worried as he initially was about the possibility of contracting the coronavirus, but he hopes the league will be sensitive to other players like him who have preexisting conditions that could make them more vulnerable to the virus. “I would hope there would be an understanding (from the NBA) if someone didn’t feel comfortable coming back, that’d you get a pass,” Nance said, per Brian Windhorst of ESPN. “Just because you may look like the picture of health, some people have issues you can’t see.”
- We probably won’t get a clearer sense of how the coronavirus pandemic will impact the NBA’s salary cap in 2020/21 until we know for sure how much of the season can be completed and what next season’s calendar will look like. However, John Hollinger of The Athletic digs into the subject, explaining how smoothing and increased escrow holdings could help the NBA avoid substantial year-to-year cap fluctuations.
- While they may not be at risk of losing millions of dollars like some of their star teammates, the NBA’s two-way players will be among those most significantly affected by the league’s hiatus, as Yaron Weitzman of Bleacher Report details. Besides potentially losing the opportunity to earn an NBA minimum salary during the season’s final weeks (after the G League season ends), two-way players are also missing out on a chance to audition for a roster spot in 2020/21.
BIG3 Cancels 2020 Season
The BIG3, the professional 3-on-3 basketball league co-founded by Ice Cube, is canceling its 2020 season due to the coronavirus pandemic, according to a press release.
The league, which intends to start preparing for its 2021 season, cited “safety, uncertainty of testing, changing government regulations, insurance and liability issues,” and a handful of other concerns as reasons why the ’20 campaign had to be canceled.
“Ultimately, we need the fan experience and the games themselves to be great,” the BIG3’s statement reads. “While other leagues have more immediate financial considerations, as a rising league, we need to put the fan experience above all and ensure each season is better than the one before.
“While we investigated many alternative scenarios, such as playing at a single location like a Los Angeles studio sound stage, the extension of the California stay at home order, California’s constant confusion and changing of the rules when combined with the multiple other issues listed above led to us to determining these scenarios were not feasible.”
Former NBA players such as Joe Johnson, Rashard Lewis, Amar’e Stoudemire, and Josh Smith were among the standout BIG3 performers during the first three seasons of the 12-team league, which typically begins in June. Zach Randolph and Marreese Speights were among the notable veterans expected to join the BIG3 for its 2020 season.
The BIG3 had planned to precede its 2020 season with a reality show-style, three-on-three tournament, which will now be delayed until ’21 as well. The program, titled BIG3: Not in My House, will premiere sometime before the 2021 regular season begins, according to today’s announcement.
“The BIG3, along with (production partner) Endemol, was ready to proceed with this show immediately, but were faced with issues because U.S. networks mostly cannot start reality show and studio productions until at least September,” the league said in its statement. “We will have to wait until network studio production and scheduling stabilizes.”
Thunder Reopen Facility, Can Conduct Coronavirus Tests
The Thunder are reopening their practice facility, the Thunder Ion, on Monday and will allow players to conduct voluntary individual workouts there, as Royce Young of ESPN relays (Twitter link). Players are expected to be in the gym today, according to Young.
In addition to opening their facility, the Thunder have received authorization to conduct coronavirus tests on players or staffers who enter the building. Their statement suggests they’ll be able to administer those tests even for individuals who are asymptomatic.
“While our testing will be done through private resources, our state health authorities have given us assurances that any testing of players or essential staff would not impact the needs of the community and have provided the written documentation that is required by the NBA to test any players and essential staff,” the team said, per Young.
[RELATED: NBA Starts Allowing Teams To Test Asymptomatic Players For Coronavirus]
Oklahoma City is the 17th club known to have reopened its practice facility on a limited basis following the coronavirus shutdown. We listed the other 16 in our earlier story on the Pelicans and Clippers reopening their buildings.
Northwest Notes: Barton, Niang, Nuggets
Nuggets guard Will Barton understands it may take awhile for players to get back into game shape due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but the 29-year-old is still mentally prepared to return to the hardwood, Alex Labidou of Nuggets.com writes.
Barton discussed a number of topics with Katy Winge of Altitude, including returning to Denver’s practice facility, his thoughts on The Last Dance and more.
“You can try to do as much as you can, but without getting on the court and playing 5-on-5, nothing can prepare for game shape,” he told Winge, as relayed by Labidou.
Many practice facilities around the NBA are beginning to open with strict restrictions and protocols in place, allowing some players to return to a court for the first time in roughly two months.
In addition to Zoom calls and virtual training sessions, players have resorted to watching game film and weekly episodes of The Last Dance, and Barton is no exception.
“I don’t miss an episode… Mike [Jordan] was insane and I mean that in the best way possible,” Barton said. “Just how driven he was, his mindset mentally he was just different. We all know how gifted he was, how talented he was. But to get a live look into a mindset, what made him tick, is amazing.”
Here are some other notes out of the Northwest Division:
- Jazz forward Georges Niang gave insight into his first workout at Utah’s practice facility, which was recently reopened amidst the coronavirus pandemic, as relayed by Eric Walden of the Salt Lake Tribune. “The guy that is on our training staff has to be in full [personal protective equipment] — whether that’s a mask, gloves; I know he’s carrying around a spray bottle and a towel,” Niang said. “So, basically every step that I take or wherever I go, that place is getting sprayed down.”
- Nick Kosmider of The Athletic examines what the Nuggets must do in order to compete for a championship, listing seven questions to answer if the playoffs take place. Denver has a deep roster headlined by the likes of Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray and Gary Harris, but the franchise has failed to achieve postseason success in recent years.
- Harrison Wind of TheDNVR.com provides a peek into the Nuggets‘ first week of workouts back at the practice facility. Denver formally opened its facility last week, becoming one of the first teams to do so.
Eastern Notes: Celtics, Embiid, Bulls, Bucks
The Celtics haven’t hosted a game in over two months ago due to the coronavirus pandemic, and that hiatus is expected to be extended further as the league sifts through scenarios to return to play.
Boston Mayor Marty Walsh outlined the requirements needed for sports teams to host games this summer — albeit with restrictions and protocols — in a recent interview with Michael Silverman of the Boston Globe.
“There will be no fans in Fenway Park in July, there will be no fans in Fenway Park in August — we won’t even be near a situation where there’s herd immunity and there certainly won’t be a vaccine,” Walsh told Silverman, as relayed by Dave Green of NBC Sports Boston.
The chances of a major sporting event commencing with fans this year have continued to dwindle in recent weeks, with just over 1.5 million positive COVID-19 tests being recorded in the United States and nearly five million recorded worldwide as of Sunday.
Walsh understands the importance of pushing sports to return, but only if the proper protocols are followed to ensure that players remain both safe and healthy.
“Certainly on the fan side and the psychological side, I think if baseball could come back like we’re seeing in Taiwan and South Korea, I think that that’s good for people to have a distraction,” he said. “I think sports is one aspect of that. People have different reasons for distraction and sports is one, and I think it would help a lot people’s psyches as far as having baseball and sports back.”
There’s more out of the Eastern Conference tonight:
- Derek Bodner of The Athletic ponders what could’ve been if Joel Embiid started his NBA career healthy. Embiid, the No. 3 pick in 2014, missed both of his first two seasons in the league due to injuries and made his debut in October of 2016. He’s since transitioned into one of the league’s most dominant big men, averaging 23.4 points and 11.8 rebounds per game in 44 games this season with the Sixers.
- K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago examined a number of topics in his latest mailbag, including the Bulls’ front office structure, Jim Boylen‘s job security and more. The Bulls recently revamped their front office by hiring Arturas Karnisovas as executive president of basketball operations and Marc Eversley as general manager.
- Eric Nehm and John Hollinger of The Athletic explore the future of the Bucks, examining the team’s current situation and what’s to come. Milwaukee posted an impressive 53-12 record before the NBA season was suspended, dominating opponents at home and on the road.
Coronavirus Notes: Tolliver, Dudley, Testing, Asterisk
Add Anthony Tolliver to the list of players who believe there’s strong support throughout the league for finishing the season. Tolliver, a member of the NBPA executive committee, offered some insight into the players’ position during an interview with Darren Wolfson of KSTP (video link).
“I don’t think there’s any doubt that guys want to play, and I think guys want to do it in a safe way,” Tolliver said. “We need to figure out a way where we’re not putting the assistant coaches, especially the older people who would be in that environment, as long as we’re not putting them in serious health risk — I think that’s going to be the biggest key. Guys want to play ball. Guys don’t want to lose money. I think that as long as we have the protocols in place that everybody’s confident in, that’s whenever things will start to pick up some momentum.”
It was already an eventful year for Tolliver, even before the league shutdown. He left the Timberwolves last summer to sign with the Trail Blazers, then was traded to the Kings in January. Sacramento waived him a month later, and he signed a 10-day contract with the Grizzlies on March 2. Tolliver says he was planning to ink a second 10-day deal on March 12, but the league hiatus got in the way.
There’s more coronavirus-related news:
- Lakers forward Jared Dudley believes the season will start again in July, probably in a bubble atmosphere in Las Vegas or Orlando, relays Steve Popper of Newsday. Appearing on ESPN Radio in New York, Dudley said the amount of money at stake will drive the league to find a solution. “We’re going to be safe in this bubble because of the testing — we’re going to be doing them before every game,” he said. “That’s why Adam Silver wants to wait another month or two to be able to sign off on it because he wants everybody in society to be able to get tests first. And second, the data will show the virus that between the ages of 19 and 35, it’s what, 0.001% that someone has died and that’s not even a professional athlete.”
- The NBA’s willingness to push back the start of next season increases the likelihood that this season will be completed, writes Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated. He adds that the decision to permit asymptomatic testing in some cities shows that the league is serious about playing again.
- The unusual circumstances surrounding the end of the season means this year’s champion should receive an asterisk, especially if the playoffs are affected because some players have to be quarantined for two weeks, argues Ira Winderman of The Sun-Sentinel. However, ESPN’s Jalen Rose disagrees, telling Mike Singer of the Denver Post that champions have always had to overcome some type of obstacles.
Players Who Tested Positive For Coronavirus Recovered ‘In Short Order’
There are at least 10 known cases of NBA players who tested positive for the coronavirus and all players recovered “in short order,” according to Sam Amick of The Athletic.
Jazz center Rudy Gobert had the first known case of COVID-19 — his positive test led to the NBA suspending the season. In the aftermath, his teammate Donovan Mitchell, four Nets players including Kevin Durant, Pistons center Christian Wood, Celtics Marcus Smart and two Lakers players also tested positive.
While it’s good to hear that the players recovered quickly, safety has been the main concern discussed the NBA works toward potentially resuming the 2019/20 season. The league expects 22 of its 30 teams to have their practice facilities open for voluntary workouts by this Monday with strict guidelines in place for players.
Rockets To Reopen Training Facility On Monday
The Rockets will be the latest team to open their training facility this coming Monday as the NBA works toward potentially restarting the season, tweets ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
As coronavirus restrictions have been loosened in certain parts of the country, several teams have begun opening their facilities for limited, voluntary workouts. Wojnarowski noted earlier this week that the NBA expected 22 of the league’s 30 teams to have their facilities open for voluntary workouts by this coming Monday.
For those players who choose to participate in the workouts, several safety precautions are required. Players are allowed to train for an hour at a time, with no more than four total players in the building. Temperature checks are administered before entering the facility and players are required to wear a mask when not engaged in physical activity.
Players Leaning On Silver’s Judgment For Potential Restart
The trust between NBA players and Adam Silver has made him the driving force behind the possible resumption of this season and sorting out all pandemic-related issues, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN details.
Unlike the often contentious relationship between MLB players and baseball commissioner Rob Manfred, the spirit of cooperation in the NBA has put Silver in a position of reshaping the NBA during the pandemic. That’s why most players are willing to finish the season and owners are sold on testing while remaining cautious on bringing back fans, despite the financial implications.
The league is examining ways to have fans in arenas at 15% to 20% capacity, Wojnarowski continues. Most teams are studying how to get fans into premium seating arrangements and safely distance them when fans are officially allowed to return on a limited basis.
The large revenue issues have not been lost on players, thanks to their willingness to accept Silver’s blunt assessment of the current situation. The star players are on committees engaging with the league office and even thanked Silver for getting on a conference call with them last week, Wojnarowski adds. That’s a big reason why the players didn’t balk at having 25% of their paychecks withheld, beginning on Friday.