The NBA is reportedly considering Las Vegas as the host site of its entire playoffs, should the current season eventually resume.
Players have been flocking to Sin City for Summer League since 2004, and though nothing is close to being official at the moment, they could be returning there for considerably more meaningful games.
The League and its associated businesses are bleeding money as a result of the coronavirus global pandemic.
Per Sports Illustrated:
The league is exploring the feasibility of holding its entire postseason in Las Vegas, sources briefed on the NBA’s thinking told SI.com. A league source told SI.com that the NBA was nowhere close to formalizing anything, but added “nothing is off the table.”
Quarantining in one location is the only solution, and Vegas is the only city the NBA is currently giving any kind of serious consideration, per an NBA source. But even that faces enormous hurdles. Thousands of players and staffers would descend on Las Vegas for an event like this. Thousands of supports staff at hotels and arenas would be needed to make it work. Not to mention broadcasters and media. Testing would have to advance significantly in the coming months. Rapid tests, like the one now being produced by Abbott Laboratories, would have to be widely available. An event that could be squeezed into a few weeks would require tens of thousands of tests.
“I think they’re turning over every rock they possibly can to play and looking at every different outcome,” Nets GM Sean Marks said.
Said Bucks GM Jon Horst, “We believe that we’re going to play and everything we’re doing every day and our communications and our preparations, everything we talk about is be prepared to play at some point and finish out the season and have a resumption.”
