With the Corona virus taking the world by storm all sporting events have been halted and some players have already been dealing with the effects this may have on the future of their game. On March 11th the NBA decided to suspend their season after star center Rudy Gobert tested positive for Covid-19. Later that week Gobert's teamate also became ill due to the virus. The NBA has bounced around ideas that they will resume where the season was abruptly stopped, resume at the beginning of the playoffs, or ultimately just cut the season short. There are many outcomes of this season that are still unknown but here are my best prediction of how not only the season will end but also the changes that will come out of this Covid-19 outbreak as a whole.
Gobert has been in hot water ever since he tested positive for the virus. When Gobert was asked about the virus before he tested positive he took it as a joke and as he left the press room he proceeded to touch all the microphones and tables as a practical joke. The side effect of him taking the virus so lightly led to one of his teammates Donovan Mitchell to contract the virus. Ever since that day there have been multiple leaks that Mitchell is refusing to play with Gobert again. While this may seem a step to far from Mitchell you must understand that he views Gobert's carelessness as the reason he got wrapped in this in the first place. There's nothing like a true bond that comes from being quarantined with the person that got you sick... right? Gobert is one of the most dominating defenders in the NBA and any team that trades for him if one does happen will most likely win the trade. Nobody really knows exactly how the Utah Jazz will deal with this situation but it could be one of the biggest changes we see at the end of this season.
We don't exactly know when the season will end though. The NBA has constantly thought about resuming the season where it was ended, but seeing as it is already one month later that would mean that the 2020-2021 season wouldn't start until after Thanksgiving. If the NBA does start its next season so late when exactly would they change the schedule back to the way it was or would they at all? In the upcoming months we could not only see major changes in the NBA rosters but the NBA schedule. If the NBA decided to start with the playoffs after the suspension is lifted there could be many players, owners, and fans upset due to the fact that many teams are still in the race to make the playoffs such as the Portland Trail Blazers and New Orleans Pelicans. How could the NBA commissioner Adam Silver make the call of what teams should or shouldn't make the playoffs by ending the season short? It is also possible that the NBA season gets canceled as a whole. This would not only tank the NBA marketplace but also the upcoming TV deals they have in the works as we speak. The main problem is without those TV deals bringing in huge profits for the Owners and NBA the salary cap does not get increased meaning that players will make less money then they had planned for.
The NBA has big decisions to make during this suspension and they could change the landscape of professional basketball forever. Many teams will have to change their strategy and roster with the new NBA on its way. I as many others are extremely excited and curious to how the league will change these upcoming years.