Report: Kings will be one of 22 teams to resume NBA play at Disney World in Orlando
The Kings are one of 22 teams that will converge on Orlando to resume the NBA season under a plan that is expected to be approved Thursday, sources told ESPN.
ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported Wednesday the NBA’s Board of Governors intends to approve a league proposal for a 22-team format to restart the season in late July at the Walt Disney World Resort. The plan is expected to be approved Thursday morning during a conference call with the NBA Board of Governors.
The plan reportedly will include 13 Western Conference teams and nine Eastern Conference teams. The top eight teams in the Eastern and Western conferences will be joined by teams that were within six games of the No. 8 seed in their respective conferences when the season was suspended March 11 due to the COVID-19 crisis.
Under the plan, the Kings, New Orleans Pelicans, Portland Trail Blazers, San Antonio Spurs, Phoenix Suns and Washington Wizards will still have an opportunity to make the playoffs. When play was suspended, the Kings, Blazers and Pelicans were tied for ninth in the West, 3½ games behind the Memphis Grizzlies.
According to ESPN, teams will play eight regular season games followed by a possible play-in tournament for the final playoff berth in each conference. Play-in games will reportedly be played if the ninth-place team in either conference finishes the modified regular season within four games of the No. 8 seed.
Teams will start training at home sites in early July before traveling to Orlando to restart the season July 31. The NBA plans to conclude its season by Oct. 12.
This story was originally published June 3, 2020 at 10:25 AM.
