The NBA is taking some minor steps toward at least getting players practicing individually again.
According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the league will begin allowing teams to use practice facilities on May 1 if they are in states that have begun to ease stay-at-home orders. For teams still subjected to those orders, the league is prepared to work on alternative arrangements. Group workouts are still prohibited.
Beginning on May 1, the NBA is allowing teams to open their practice facilities to players in cities and states where local governments have eased stay-at-home orders, sources tell ESPN.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) April 25, 2020
Sources: Teams will be allowed to make facilities open to players on a voluntary basis for individual work, but larger group workouts will still be prohibited. In NBA markets that aren't loosening restrictions, league plans to work w/ teams on other arrangements for players. https://t.co/yZSKsXedW1
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) April 25, 2020
Any bit of news is good news at this point. Some states, most prominently Georgia, have begun to lift stay-at-home orders within the last week, and others are poised to follow. It would be the first step toward charting a return to basketball, which remains a ways off.
Individual workouts are the first step in the league’s plan to return to action. Every team will need to be able to do this, though, and it does not appear that we’ll be there yet at the start of May.
