If the NBA and NBPA fail to reach an agreement to resume the 2019-20 season in Orlando — or if the players collectively decide to forego the proposed resumption in favor of more direct participation in the ongoing racial justice movement sweeping America — it could set the stage for a lockout, at least in the opinion of one Western Conference coach.
“I think there’s going to be a renegotiation of the CBA, there will be a lockout [in 2020-21] and you’re going to see something similar to what’s happening right now in baseball,” a Western Conference coach said. “You’ll see a very different NBA going forward if, in fact, we don’t play.”
22 teams are expected to head to Walt Disney World next month for the final batch of regular-season games and a four-round postseason, plus potential play-in games. As Bontemps writes, “plenty of what transpires could have enormous implications and reshape the league.”
The coronavirus has teams considering how the financial ramifications of the pandemic could affect business beyond the Orlando bubble — specifically, the upcoming offseason and 2020-21 season, which could very well take place without fans in attendance.
A contingent of players, including Kyrie Irving, Dwight Howard, Carmelo Anthony and Donovan Mitchell, have recently voiced concerns about heading to Florida while protests for racial equality continue around the country, adding a new level of complications to the league’s plans. There are also still plenty of health concerns.
Finishing the season will likely ease future economic pain to some degree — both for the players and owners. Any basketball that isn’t played “puts future paychecks, the collective bargaining agreement and the relationship between players and owners in jeopardy,” writes Bontemps.
If the league is unable to complete the season after trying to restart, several league executives reportedly project massive financial losses, but not necessarily unsalvageable ones.
While there has been some pushback from players about restarting the season, the current expectation is it isn’t actually in jeopardy. Still, a lot has to be worked out.
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