Report: NBA players will have until June 24 to decide to return this season

The NBA has given players a deadline of June 24 to make a decision on whether or not to play when the 2019-20 regular season returns in late July, The Athletic’s Shams Charania reported Tuesday afternoon.

So the players need to notify teams by June 24 or else they will be considered out for the remainder of the season. Of course, given the circumstances, this is totally fine and the only penalty will come from players’ paychecks (a small fraction). The season plans to resume in late July, reportedly on the 30th, with the regular season before heading into the NBA playoffs.

There have been reports scrutinizing the NBA’s return plan in Orlando. Players and personnel are concerned about the bubble and maintaining safety for all parties involved. With those concerns, there could be plenty of players opting to sit out and wait until the 2020-21 season before returning. It also could be some big names sitting out. We’ll see.

Anyone at higher risk who opts to not return won’t have their salary reduced, per Shams. They have an extra day to decide whether or not to play. That is interesting that they aren’t being banned from returning. I understand it’s their decision and livelihood but still, no penalization means no reason to put yourself at risk.

This isn’t anything new, we knew this type of protocol would be in place beforehand. The self-quarantine would essentially put you out of play for at least 10 days, which is a lot in this bubble format. With limited games left in the season, every one is important. After we get past the first 16 days, anyone penalized for leaving would be quarantined during the playoffs.