LAKE BUENA VISTA, FLORIDA – AUGUST 19: NBA Commissioner Adam Silver attends an NBA basketball game between the Dallas Mavericks and the Los Angeles Clippers during game two of the first round of the NBA playoffs at AdventHealth Arena at ESPN Wide World Of Sports Complex on August 19, 2020 in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ashley Landis-Pool/Getty Images)
The NBA is reportedly moving back dates for next season.
The NBA is pulling off something extraordinary in Orlando. The league and the players came together to create a safe environment during an ongoing pandemic to finish the 2019-20 season.
Questions have lingered since the start of the bubble about what will happen next season. There is plenty of uncertainty of when the league wants to start play if fans are not allowed in the stands for any amount of time.
A recent report has made it official that key dates will be pushed back for next season.
NBA taking its time to make a decision
Moving back the draft and free agency seemed like an expected move given the lack of clarity about the start of next season. That date remains up in the air even with this latest update.
Playing the 2020 playoffs in the summer and fall made it clear the NBA schedule would not immediately go back to normal next season. This will be a multi-year process and the league can even experiment by playing in different parts of the year.
The draft lottery has already been held and the Minnesota Timberwolves hold the top pick. The Golden State Warriors pick second and both teams now have plenty of time to continue their scouting in this weird year.
The offseason will also turn plenty of attention toward the Milwaukee Bucks as Giannis Antetokounmpo enters what will be the final year of his current contract. The Bucks can offer him a supermax deal, but an early postseason exit could put his faith in the team in jeopardy.
All this drama is usually reserved for the summer and the season tips off in late October. Now fans will be glued to their phones in the fall and winter while also waiting for news of when game will be back.
Finishing this season is a minor miracle. Now the league has to get back to work to see if more bubbles are needed to even start the next campaign.