As the NBA and the union finalize terms on a return-to-play plan, some players are questioning the idea of restarting the 2019-20 season in Orlando, sources told ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.
However, the parties are reportedly expected to agree on a provision that wouldn't require the players to participate, nor subject them to discipline for staying home.
If a player has a medical issue that may excuse them from game action, he will be permitted to undergo an independent examination process, according to Wojnarowski. Should the player be ruled fit to play, he'll have the option to sit out without consequence.
Anyone who chooses not to play, however, will reportedly lose a portion of their salary for those games missed. Some players are said to be hesitant to return due to a number of issues, including family concerns, the coronavirus, and social justice.
A panel of physicians will also apparently review the personal medical histories of each competing team's staff to assess their risk of serious illness if they were to contract COVID-19.
There is a possibility that a player who voluntarily chooses not to play with his team in Orlando could be replaced by a substitute player, Wojnarowski reported Thursday. Players who have been replaced would be ineligible to return during the 2019-20 season.
As previously reported, similar framework will likely be implemented to fill absences created by an injury or illness that occurs within the closed-campus environment.
Last week, the NBPA was said to have informed players that their families will be allowed to join them following the first round of the playoffs. The second round will reportedly begin Sept. 1 and "many" players are unhappy about the proposed scenario, according to Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press.
