Report: Silver to decide season in 2-4 weeks

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NBA commissioner Adam Silver told the attendees of Tuesday's Board of Governors call that he's aiming to make a decision on the 2019-20 campaign within two-to-four weeks, sources told The Athletic's Shams Charania.

Before making the final call, the league is trying to understand a number of factors, including the trajectory of new cases, who's getting severely ill and why, developments in testing, and how other sports are handling positive tests among participants, reports ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.

Those who participated in the meeting with Silver came away feeling positive about momentum toward a return to play this season, sources told Wojnarowski.

The discussion reportedly focused on health and safety concerns, including getting the players comfortable with continuing operations even if an individual tests positive for the coronavirus.

If the NBA formalizes a return to play, the league indicated to teams that the plan would be to standardize testing among the 30 clubs, reports Wojnarowski.

During Silver's discussion with the Board of Governors and team owners, he's said to have used the term "campus environment" when referencing what's been called a "bubble," Wojnarowski added.

Tuesday's call also apparently included significant details on how other pro sports leagues in North America and abroad are working toward their respective returns.

On Monday, Oklahoma City Thunder guard and NBPA president Chris Paul reportedly arranged a conference call with some of the league's biggest superstars. Paul and his peers are said to have come away from their meeting feeling united in support of resuming the 2019-20 campaign if the NBA gets the green light to proceed.

The NBA and NBPA also reportedly formed a working group, which includes Paul, Russell Westbrook, Jayson Tatum, Kyle Lowry, and Dwight Powell to discuss return-to-play strategies.

Silver held a conference call with players Friday and apparently stated that Orlando and Las Vegas could serve as locations for Eastern and Western Conference play, respectively, if the current NBA season resumes.