Report: NBA teams targeting June return as CDC issues new recommendation

Some NBA owners and executives increasingly believe that resuming play in mid-to-late June without fans in attendance would be the best-case scenario, ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reports.

On Sunday, the United States' Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released updated guidelines on mass gatherings, recommending that all organizers cancel or postpone events consisting of 50 or more people for the next eight weeks.

The suspension of the NBA season began Wednesday, March 11, after Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert tested positive for the COVID-19 virus.

League commissioner Adam Silver expects the hiatus to last "at least 30 days," while adding the Finals could be moved to July or later to accommodate a lengthy stoppage.

According to Wojnarowski, the NBA is evaluating potential arena dates through August, deep into what would be the second month of the offseason under normal circumstances. That reportedly includes smaller venues such as team practice facilities.

Teams are reportedly expecting to soon receive updated financial projections based on a number of possible outcomes, including the potential of the 2019-20 season being canceled outright.