Sarah K. Spencer: Hawks had a team meeting this morning. Goal was to give players opportunity to ask questions + keep them in the loop as best as possible entering the NBA’s 30-day hiatus. Teams are not allowed to practice for the next few days, but players can work out individually at facility.
Marc J. Spears: The USA Basketball Board of Directors announced that in response to the COVID-19 pandemic it has suspended all USA Basketball scheduled events until further notice and that it was cancelling the 2020 Nike Hoop Summit that was scheduled for April 10 in Portland.
Chris Haynes: In memo to teams, league prohibits group workouts from now to March 16 with a caveat: If multiple players are working out at a facility simultaneously, it’s required that players use parts of facility on individual basis (e.g., a “one player, one coach, one basket rule.”
Jon Johnson: Members of Sixers’ medical team have been making daily calls to players, staff to check how they’re feeling. No news on tests, results.
Jason Quick: Source at Trail Blazers says organization is formulating plan to pay their part-time arena employees for the 9 home games canceled by the NBA because of COVID-19. They will reassess the program in 30 days.
McCollum’s thoughts quickly turned to the livelihood of his fellow NBA players. “This is crazy,” he said on his podcast. “This really caught me off guard. I’m sweating, not because I’m nervous, because I take good care of myself, but I’m worried about a lot of players in the league who weren’t thinking about this ever happening. The fact that a big revenue stream is going to be taken away from a lot of players right now is a scary thought for some people that might not have prepared for disaster.”
Jeff Goodman: NCAA has suspended all recruiting on and off campus for all sports until at least April 15, source told @Stadium.
The NCAA on Thursday canceled the men's and women's basketball tournaments due to coronavirus, but before the governing body "dragged itself to this inevitable conclusion, one underlying truth was exposed over the past 48 hours: The relationship between the NCAA and its member conferences is barely functional and needs some significant repair once the world goes back to normal," according to Dan Wolken of USA TODAY. Sources said that at a "time of crisis with big decisions needing to be made, the communication coming from the NCAA office was woefully lacking." The sources were "highly critical of the NCAA for failing to deliver a clear picture over the past two days, which led to some eyebrow-raising decisions."
ABC News: BREAKING: Los Angeles and San Diego unified school districts, the two largest in California, "will close, effective Monday, March 16, in an effort to prevent the spread of Covid-19." Jared Dudley: The right decision!
In particular, EuroLeague decided to temporarily suspend its competitions for the protection of the participants and fans. Moreover, Bertomeu informs the fans that there will not be any basketball games until at least April 11. Furthermore, he is stating that EuroLeague is committed on delivering an ending to the season. "Our games will be suspended until at least April 11, 2020 and we remain committed to deliver an ending to what has been an outstanding season so far."
Chris Haynes: The NBA will not fine or suspend Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert for his actions leading up to testing positive for the coronavirus, league sources tell Yahoo Sports.
Adam Silver said that the NBA reached out to Rudy Gobert to develop a PSA to help combat the spread of COVID-19. Gobert tested positive for the virus, leading the NBA to suspend the league for at least 30 days.
ESPN sportscaster Scott Van Pelt and senior reporter Adrian Wojnarowski certainly think so, as they talked about the Jazz and the entire league’s conundrum on Thursday. Van Pelt noted that there seems to a discord between Gobert and the rest of his teammates, following his nonchalant approach to the virus before his diagnosis. Wojnarowski, who broke the story on Wednesday, echoed the same sentiment. “That is an astute observation. The Jazz are fortunate that they don’t have to get back together and start playing games again right now. There’s a lot of work to do to repair relationships not just between Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert, but others in the locker room. There’s a lot of frustration with Gobert. He certainly was apologetic today. They got great leadership in Utah. In that locker room, it’s going to be a test to get this team back on track,” Woj said.
An NBA player who on Wednesday tested positive for the novel coronavirus was seen five days earlier handing his game-worn arm sleeves to young fans at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit. Rudy Gobert of the Utah Jazz tested presumptive positive for COVID-19 before Wednesday's game against the Oklahoma City Thunder. In the wake of that diagnosis, the NBA became the first pro sports organization in the U.S. to suspended play as the coronavirus pandemic sweeps across the country.
Insiders tell Page Six that — after learning on Wednesday that Gobert has the illness — staff at The Dominick Hotel in Soho were so perturbed about an apparent lack of concern on the part of the hotel management that some of them called their unions for help. The team was in town to play the Knicks at Madison Square Garden on March 4th and stayed at the hotel on March 2nd and 3rd.
“I was shocked by the number of teams that were clueless at the size that [the coronavirus] would get to,” said one high-ranking executive privy to leaguewide conversations. “Some teams that hadn’t faced an outbreak in their communities didn’t think it was worth talking about.”
Among the options discussed on the Wednesday conference call, according to two people familiar with the topics who were not authorized to discuss them publicly, was putting the season on a brief hiatus and playing into the summer to crown a 2019-20 champion. But there was more support, according to the people, for trying to play games in empty arenas without fans than putting the season on hold indefinitely.
However, there is “force majeure” language in the CBA for owners to claw some of that money back should games be wiped out by events beyond the league’s control. In addition to acts of war and acts of nature, this section specifically mentions epidemics. The amount is 1/92.6th of the player salary for every game missed. In reality, this likely would end up in a negotiation between the Players Association and the league. More ominously, the league has the right to terminate the CBA in the case of a force majeure event by providing 60 days’ notice. It’s not clear that it would be advantageous for it to do so unless next season were also in jeopardy, but the language is in there.
Kristen Kenney: Thank you for your concern & constant support. I tested negative and am now back home. I am grateful for the way our team @utahjazz & the health officials in Oklahoma and Utah went above and beyond to make us feel safe and cared for during an unprecedented time. 🙏
Andy Larsen: I tested negative.
“You just got to take care of yourself,” Fertitta said on CNBC. “There’s no reason to panic even when they announce that another 100,000 people have it, OK? People are going to get this. People are at home with it, just don’t go to work and you don’t give it to other people, don’t go to a ballgame and give it to other people. Everybody just needs to take care of themselves and we all need to have good habits right now. “We’re going to find out every day that more people have this, but we’ve got to go on about our lives. But you’re not going to die from this. You can take your rarest diseases that you get in America and not as many people are going to die from the Coronavirus as die from these [rare diseases].”
Fertitta was asked how his Chinese restaurant businesses were faring after a rapid spread that only hit Beijing less than two months ago. His answer is ominous for the NBA, which has only just begun this fight. “Let me use just one word: bad,” Fertitta said while chuckling. “You know, it’s so funny. I’m going to tell you something funny, is the fact that -- and it’s not funny -- but we were finally able to reopen a Morton’s in Beijing the other day and this has never happened in all my 30, 40 years with any of my restaurants, but we (re)opened the restaurant …”
“It is insane,” Green said in a phone interview on Thursday. “It’s one of those things where it doesn’t hit home until it hits home. The stuff that happened with the Jazz, honestly, just put everybody on alert. You’re thinking, ‘It won’t happen to me. It won’t happen to me. It can’t happen to me.’ Then it happens to someone in your same field. Someone you’re on the court with four times a year — and you’re playing against players he played against. To be honest, it makes me think about everybody who possibly could be affected that don’t necessarily have health care or enough resources to get through this.”
Bovada Sportsbook has offered bettors the opportunity to wager on when the NBA will officially return to the hardwood. It is listing April 15th as the proposed date to wager on. Bettors expecting a lengthier absence have to lay juice of -230. Those who expect the suspension to last only about a month can wager on it a plus-odds.
Shams Charania: NBA has informed franchises that "each team is encouraged" to conduct educational meeting by Monday for players/staff with physicians to discuss coronavirus situation -- either in person (appropriate spacing) or remotely. Several teams had such meetings before suspended season.
Anthony Slater: Warriors players, coaches, staffers haven’t and, at this point, won’t receive COVID-19 testing unless they show symptoms. Just isn’t the capacity for it yet. Franchise is kind of in a freeze and isolation mode like rest of the league/country. More direction from NBA next week.
Diamond Leung: Jeremy Lin announced a donation to fight the coronavirus
Bill Oram: Adam Silver on TNT: “Even if we’re out for a month, if we’re out for six weeks, we can still restart the season. It might mean the Finals take place in July or late. Just my feeling was it was way premature to suggest we had lost the season.”
Fred Katz: Adam Silver on if it’s possible that the NBA season doesn’t come back: "Of course it’s possible. I just don’t know more at this point."
Melissa Rohlin: Adam Silver said on TNT that after learning of Gobert's positive COVID-19 result that the league postponed the game and suspended the season. "This of course should not be a business decision," he said.
Mike Fisher: In compliance w #NBA #CoronavirusPandemic decision, the @Dallas Mavericks and all clubs will cease team activities through at least Monday, March 16.
David Locke: I am home safely. I tested negative. Thanks for everyone who has reached out to me. Enormous thanks to all the members of the @Utah Jazz who went beyond their regular duties to keep us safe and get us home. Look forward to talking soon.
Brad Turner: Sources: Lakers players came away from conference call with GM Rob Pelinka, Coach Frank Vogel that NBA owners want to finish regular and postseason, even if goes to late June, July or August.
Brad Turner: Lakers players had conference call with GM Rob Pelinka, Coach Frank Vogel to update on NBA rules during shutdown for coronavirus: no group workouts, only 1-on-1 workout with assistant coach or strength coach. Players can put time in they want to workout. Another call Monday.
Jeff Goodman: Utah Jazz coach Quin Snyder had multiple meetings with the players about the seriousness of Coronavirus, source told @Stadium. Also had a doctor come in and talk to the team separately.
Sarah K. Spencer: No Hawks players have exhibited any signs of coronavirus, as of now. The league has not asked the Hawks to self-quarantine or get tested for coronavirus, since they have not played the Jazz.
Tim Reynolds: Charles Barkley announces that he is self-quarantining for 48 hours. He has been tested for COVID-19 and has not gotten results back. "I'm in limbo right now," Barkley said on TNT just now.
Zach Lowe: E-sports, too: the NBA 2K League is expected to announce tonight that it is postponing the start of its season, which had been scheduled to begin on March 24. The league and 2K are working closely to see if it is possible to play games remotely, source says.
Marc Stein: The NBA has notified its teams that all players are advised to stay in their home markets, remain home as much as possible and that teams are not allowed to hold group practices, meetings or workouts through at least March 16
Marc Stein: The NBA, league sources say, has also asked team doctors and athletic trainers to check in at least once a day with players on their health status and use a "one player, one coach, one basket" rule if multiple players are working out at the same time in team practice facilities
Shams Charania: The NBA has informed all 30 teams on policies effective immediately and through March 16, including: - All players must remain in market of team - Players remain home as long as possible - NO group workouts, practices - Team physicians/trainers speak to each player once a day
Illinois governor J.B. Pritzker just announced that he's asked the owners of all Illinois-based sport franchises to cancel or postpone live events through at least May 1. Added that all the owners agreed to comply.
An NBA player who on Wednesday tested positive for the novel coronavirus was seen five days earlier handing his game-worn arm sleeves to young fans at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit. Rudy Gobert of the Utah Jazz tested presumptive positive for COVID-19 before Wednesday's game against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
In a video posted to the message board website Reddit, Gobert can be seen removing his arm sleeves after the Jazz's 111-105 victory. He hands one of them to a child as he exits the court, then hands the other arm sleeve to another child as he heads into the tunnel. In a video posted to the message board website Reddit, Gobert can be seen removing his arm sleeves after the Jazz's 111-105 victory. He hands one of them to a child as he exits the court, then hands the other arm sleeve to another child as he heads into the tunnel.
Sarah Todd: I am very happy to be home. Really huge thanks to @SpencerJCox and the state of Utah for working with the @Utah Jazz to get me back to SLC. The support of everyone has been really wonderful. Now it’s time for a nap.
The NBA will go on a 30-day hiatus due to the coronavirus, league sources told Yahoo Sports following a call that included all NBA owners and commissioner Adam Silver.
The league likely won’t consider re-opening its doors to players, let alone fans, until a 14-day period following the last positive test, sources said. The 14-day period is the guideline for those quarantined from the time of diagnosis. The suggestion: No matter when it occurs in the league process, if a player tests positive, the league’s 14-day clock to return to business will reset.
Joe Cowley: Was told that Boylen has actually been very vocal in a leadership capacity in making sure the team and travelling party were kept updated with what was going on in leaving Orlando. Went beyond what was asked of a coach in a situation like this. If it matters ...
Tim Bontemps: Really cool gesture by Kevin Love to donate $100k from the Kevin Love Fund to support the arena and Cavs support staff because of the suspension of the NBA due to the Coronavirus pandemic.
Tim Bontemps: Meanwhile, on the basketball side of things, both the Jordan Brand Classic and the McDonald's All-American Game have been canceled. If Nike Hoop Summit hasn't already, seems inevitable that will be, too. In addition to the NBA season being disrupted, draft process will be, too.
Emmanuel Mudiay: Firstly, thanks to everyone for the positive words. Yesterday I got tested for the Covid-19 virus. By God’s grace it came out negative. Despite my teammates and I taking necessary precautions, it didn’t turn out as expected. To my guys @Donovan Mitchell @Rudy Gobert, God speed🙏🏾❤️
Jordan Clarkson: Thank you for all the love and prayers sent my way! I have been tested and i am good, wild 24 hrs glad i am healthy! Keeping my teammates @Donovan Mitchell & @Rudy Gobert in my heart as they get better going through this process! Love ✌🏽💜
Georges Niang: After a crazy 24 hours I am healthy, I am home safe, my tests came back negative! thank you all for the love and support! Let’s continue to make our environment safe with the knowledge that we have and keep supporting and sending love to our guys @Donovan Mitchell and @Rudy Gobert
Candace Buckner: Though under self-quarantine no #Wizards player has been tested for the novel coronavirus today, I'm told. Players, coaches and basketball ops staffers are to report flu-like symptoms to team doc immediately and per the team's statement earlier today, then they will be tested
Rod Beard: I'm told that all #Pistons employees, including hourly and part-time staff who support game-day activities at Little Caesars Arena, will be paid during period that NBA games are suspended. This may not apply to employees who work for other companies in LCA.
The Jordan Brand Classic, Nike’s premier high-school all-American game, announced cancellations of both the boys’ and girls’ games, set to tipoff March 27. “As we continue to navigate through the coronavirus (COVID-19) situation, we are cancelling this year’s Jordan Brand Classic planned for March 27,” Jordan Brand said in a news release.
Chris Forsberg: Maine Red Claws, G-League affiliate of the Celtics, release a statement saying no players or fans were put at risk for coronavirus while Vincent Poirier and Carsen Edwards were on assignment in Maine last week.
Eric Woodyard: Courtney Kirkland has been tested for #coronavirus today, a source confirmed. He may have to wait up to 4 days to receive the results, but is isolating himself from family and others until he gets the results. Kirkland was one of the officials for Utah-Toronto game in SLC Monday.
Royce O'Neale: Appreciate all the love and support. I’m good and okay. Everybody make sure you stay safe and take care of yourself 🙏🏾 We here for you guy @Donovan Mitchell and @Rudy Gobert healthy recovery for you guys 🤙🏾🤙🏾
Harry Giles: Sorry all the Kings fan who came out last night to support and had to find out the news so close to game time! That appreciation never goes unnoticed. Just an unfortunate time and bigger issue that need to be handled. Hopefully this ends soon #SacramentoProud
Eric Woodyard: After the NBA suspended the season last night, Fiserv Forum workers in Milwaukee received an email saying:”If you were on the schedule for tomorrow's game, you will be paid a guaranteed 3-hour minimum given this announcement is going out less than 24 hours before your call time.”
Adam Johnson: The NBA is continuing further discussions with @nbagleague teams before ultimately canceling the season according to a source. Some teams were against cancellation.
Tom Moore: #Sixers source: 'Team is temporarily self-quarantining players, coaches and select support staff. … (They're) organizing for #76ers players to get coronavirus testing as well as testing for support staff who came in close contact or exhibit symptoms."
New York Mayor Bill de Blasio declared a state of emergency in the city on Thursday, saying large venues like Barclays Center and Madison Square Garden will likely be closed for months to try to contain the fast-spreading coronavirus outbreak.
Stefan Bondy: Statement from MSG: “We support Governor Cuomo’s decision and starting tomorrow night, our New York venues will only host events that adhere to the Governor’s very clear parameters. This is a fluid situation and we will be back with further details when available.”
Chris Kirschner: Hawks owner Tony Ressler is joining Mark Cuban in making sure the arena’s hourly employees will continue to have income. Ressler: “We are indeed and feel strongly it’s both the right thing to do and good business.”
The Portland Trail Blazers are asking season ticket holders and other fans with tickets for “patience” as they “navigate ... uncharted waters" in the aftermath of the NBA’s decision to suspend the regular season because of concerns over coronavirus. In an email sent to season ticket holders late Wednesday night, the team said it was working with the NBA to grasp the scope of the suspension and how it would impact the rest of the season.
Indications were the players have not yet been tested for the coronavirus at the hotel because they are asymptomatic. The Knicks played the Utah Jazz last week. The Jazz have two infected players, their two stars, Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell.
Late Wednesday, Knicks veteran Wayne Ellington said at the Capital One Arena the team’s medical director, Dr. Lisa Callahan has given them encouraging words. “You think about it, but at the same time, Dr. Callahan notified us as long as you’re not feeling symptoms, what comes with it, you’re fine,” Ellington said. “Otherwise, we’ll take the necessary orders. Everybody is OK.”
Stefan Bondy: Mayor DiBlasio said Madison Square Garden will likely be closed for months. Don't see how the NBA can play again this season. Maybe a truncated postseason.
KC Johnson: No member of Bulls traveling party is symptomatic, per sources. All have been given specific instruction where to go for testing if any symptoms develop. Organization will follow league directives moving forward.
Jusuf Nurkic: It is what it is. It was what it was. It will be what it will be. Don’t stress it Wash your hands and be safe people ✊🏻 #GodPlan
Vincent Goodwill: Source to @YahooSports: NBA Owner call just ended. 30 day shutdown then everything will be re-assessed. Some suggested every player will be tested for COVID-19 in the meantime
Adrian Wojnarowski: NBA owners are encouraging of commissioner Adam Silver to re-evaluate the league's suspension in 30 days, sources tell ESPN. League is expected to make a formal announcement on an initial timetable soon.
Eric Walden: Rudy Gobert addresses his diagnosis: “I would like to publicly apologize to the people that I may have endangered. At the time, I had no idea I was even infected. I was careless and make no excuse. I hope my story serves as a warning and causes everyone to take this seriously.”
The coronavirus outbreak spurring the NBA to suspend the pro basketball season indefinitely could mean bad news on top of already bad news for sporting goods companies such as Nike. “COVID-19 is impacting Nike’s business inside and outside of China more than we initially anticipated,” Susquehanna analyst Sam Poser said in a note to clients Thursday morning. “On top of which, the cancellation of the NBA season until further notice, announced last night, does little to assuage near term nerves.”
In the interim, Nike’s businesses in China, Europe and even in the U.S. are expected to take a hit, as the virus remains uncontained. U.S. footwear imports from China just had their worst January in a decade, for example, meaning shoes are not coming into the U.S. in as large quantities as they typically do. Manufacturing facilities in China, where 70% of footwear sold in the U.S. originates, are not yet back up and running at full capacity.
Adidas is now expecting first-quarter sales to drop by up to 1 billion euros ($1.14 billion) in greater China and operating profit to decline by between 400 million and 500 million euros. It has not yet factored a global hit from COVID-19 into its full-year outlook. Under Armour, meantime, in February said it anticipated the outbreak in China to lower sales by roughly $50 million to $60 million during its fiscal first quarter. That was, notably, before the virus started to hit Europe and North America much harder.
George Karl: It’s an eerie time. It reminds me of similar moments of crisis- 9/11, the Cuban Missle Crisis and the end of the Vietnam War eg. This, too, shall pass. And it could be a chance to help us reunify!
May 16, 2022 | 7:38 am EDT Update

But what happens if Phoenix uses the threat of restricted free agency and a limited market of teams with available cap space as leverage? Would the Suns tell Ayton to go out and get an offer sheet from another team, with the belief it would get matched? ESPN is projecting four teams — the Detroit Pistons, Indiana Pacers, Orlando Magic and San Antonio Spurs — to each have more than $30.5 million in available cap space. A fifth, the Portland Trail Blazers, would need to waive starter Josh Hart to create a max slot. Each of the four teams (and possibly Portland) can offer a four-year, $131.1 million contract.
Considering Phoenix is now getting a discount of $46 million (but with one less year), the likelihood is that the offer is matched. In total, 17 players have signed an offer sheet, with seven going unmatched. The latest was in 2020 with Bogdan Bogdanovic and the Sacramento Kings. The risk for the Suns is a contract laden with an advance payment, trade bonus and fewer years. Instead of having Ayton under contract through the 2026-27 season, there would be the possibility of him becoming an unrestricted free agent in 2024 or 2025. A sign-and-trade is also an option, but that would require the Suns to cooperate.

Since the All-Star break, Booker was one of three players to average 30 points while shooting 50% from the field and 40% on 3-pointers, per ESPN Stats & Information research. The other players were Kevin Durant and Jayson Tatum. He is also one of three players to average at least 25 points in each of the past four seasons, joining Giannis Antetokounmpo and LeBron James. Defensively, he averaged a career-high 1.1 steals and held opponents to a career-best 41.9% as the closest defender (according to Second Spectrum tracking) and contested 88.4% of shots faced as the closest defender for the first time in his career. If there is a concern to the supermax it is the $113 million that Booker is owed in the final two seasons.

Crowder is entering the final year of his contract and is extension eligible. The forward is eligible to sign a four-year $58.3 million contract. Crowder started all 67 games he played this season, averaging 9.4 points, 5.3 rebounds and shooting 34.8% from 3. The future finances of Phoenix (new contracts for Ayton, Booker and Johnson) will certainly factor into the decision to extend Crowder.

Overall, he shot 44.3% from the field (his lowest since 2013-14) and 37.3% from three (lowest since 2017-18). A concern with extending Middleton to a lucrative contract is the workload that he has endured since the 2017-18 season. The guard currently ranks seventh in games played and fifth in minutes among all active players. He will turn 33 years old in the first year of a possible new contract.

The Bucks’ financial outlook and the loss of Donte DiVincenzo makes signing Connaughton a priority if he declines his option. The next contract for Connaughton should range between $8 million and $10 million, similar to the two-year, $18.7 million extension that his teammate Grayson Allen signed last October.

June 21: Thanasis Antetokounmpo has a $1.9 million player option in his contract. Antetokounmpo has established Bird rights (on the roster for three years or more), allowing the Bucks to exceed the cap to sign him if the player option is declined. The market for him is the veteran minimum exception of $1.9 million.

Brook Lopez is entering the last year of his contract, and Milwaukee can extend him for four additional seasons and up to $74.7 million (a starting salary of $16.7 million in the first year). The veteran missed 69 games this season recovering from back surgery. Lopez continues to be a presence on the defensive end. Per Second Spectrum, he allowed opponents to shoot 48.8% in the restricted area when contesting shots as the closest defender over the past two seasons. That is the second lowest behind Jaren Jackson Jr. The projection for Lopez on an extension is two years, $20 million.