Report: NBA owners, players united on completing current season

The NBA was rumored to have an Aug. 1 deadline to resume its season rather than start a new season.

But apparently everyone is motivated to finish this season.

Adrian Wojnarowski on ESPN:

I think the one thing that the league is united on – owners, the league office, players association – is finding a way to be able to crown a champion this season and not lose the rest of the year.

Even if the NBA is ready to resume in the fall around the time training camp would usually open (in 2020 or 2021 or…), it’d still probably in everyone’s best interest to complete this season. I can’t image a time when it wouldn’t be worth completing this season.

We’ve just spent all year discussing fading interest in the long regular season. The postseason is the league’s most lucrative time. Why give that up just to minimize disruption to the next regular season?

The NBA might resume with at least some regular-season games, financially beneficial on their own and useful as a tune-up. But the playoffs – with their stakes and storylines – should be the priority.

After that, the league can determine the ideal time to begin the following season. Even if it means shortening future regular season(s), so be it.

Finish the season.