#Adam Silver hints at pushing back 2020-21 NBA start

Already pushed back to Dec. 1 thanks to a lengthy coronavirus pause, Commissioner Adam Silver on Thursday’s NBA Draft Lottery telecast on ESPN hinted that the start date could perhaps be even later in the year.

“I’d say December 1, now that we’re working through this season, is feeling a little bit early to me,” he said.

The 2020 NBA postseason is slated to end no later than Oct. 12, with the Draft on the 16th. A shortened free agency is expected shortly thereafter — ESPN reported players are bracing for the Oct. 18 start date to be delayed — and training camps are scheduled for Nov. 10.

A little bit of extra breathing room could help more than Silver and the players — fans could get some good news out of the deal, as well.

“I think our No. 1 goal is to get fans back in our arenas,” he said. “So my sense is, in working with the Players Association, if we could push back even a little longer and increase the likelihood of having fans in arenas, that’s what we would be targeting.”