Silver: 2019-20 NBA season may not conclude until October [UPDATE]

UPDATE: May 9, 3:26 p.m. — Adam Silver held a press conference Friday that revealed a lot about the League’s process during the coronavirus pandemic. We have details on when the NBA may resume and how it may look when basketball returns.

One detail we didn’t get yesterday was Silver’s expectation for when the season will end. October, per Jared Dudley. The Lakers forward tweeted out that Silver mentioned even October for when this season could end.

NBA commissioner Adam Silver held a press conference on Friday evening outlining some steps the League is taking to get back to action. If the NBA returns this season, it will be without fans, The Athletic’s Shams Charania shared via the press conference.

We also see that the decision on the season could bleed into June. So we may not know if/when things will resume for another month. If that’s the case, it’s safe to say we won’t be getting basketball until at least closer to July or August. If that’s the case, it’s likely the NBA opts to go right into the postseason. Where that would be held is the question.

Silver himself addressed the rumors that Las Vegas and Disney Land were options for resuming the season. Las Vegas would stand as a home for the Western Conference teams while Disney Land would house the East. Silver stated it’s important that the teams play at a neutral site to avoid traveling constantly, which raises the risk of contracting the coronavirus.

Silver also addressed an important question: What happens if a player tests positive for COVID-19 after the return?

There was a suggestion in a report by The Ringer’s Kevin O’Connor earlier in the day that said Silver and the NBA were playing around with the idea of a 3-game playoff series format. Silver shot down those rumors by confirming that he prefers a 7-game series for the playoffs.