The NBA is reopening team practice facilities for players in states and municipalities that are loosening stay-at-home restrictions amid the coronavirus pandemic beginning on Friday, sources told ESPN.
Players can return to team facilities in states such as Georgia for voluntary individual workouts as soon as next week, which allows for NBA organizations to start allowing for players to return to training in a professional, safe environment.
Teams will remain prohibited from holding group workout or organization team activities, sources said.
In markets where more restrictive governance of stay-at-home-orders remain in place, the NBA is telling teams that the league will work with franchises to help find alternative arrangements for their players, sources said.
The NBA’s decision to re-open facilities based on the loosening of local governmental policies isn’t reflective of a new timetable for a resumption of play this season, sources said. Commissioner Adam Silver and owners still believe they need more time for a clearer picture on whether, when or how they could possibly resume the season, sources said.
Many team executives have been clamoring for the chance to get players back into their facilities, which they believe to be among the safest possible environments around the pandemic. On a conference call with general managers and Silver on Thursday, some GMs said they had players asking about the possibility of traveling to Atlanta to work out in fitness centers with gymnasiums, an idea that concerned many team executives, sources said.
“If our players can travel and play at a 24-Hour Fitness in Atlanta, they should be able to have access to our facilities,” one GM told ESPN on Saturday.
Upon learning of the league’s decision to allow for some facilities to reopen starting as soon as next Friday, some GMs expressed concern to ESPN about the safety of the idea — especially given expert medical opinions have been against the idea of reopening businesses.
“In some of these states we are talking about possibly opening, the virus hasn’t even peaked yet,” one GM said.
Many players have left the markets where their teams play during the shutdown, and it’s expected that organizations with open facilities could let opposing players living locally use their gym on a limited basis. For example, many teams give permission for players living in Los Angeles, Houston and Miami in the off-season to play pick-up at team facilities like the Lakers, Clippers and Rockets.