What Wednesday represented for NBA in preparation for restart. And what it means for Heat
Wednesday was the target date for players to opt out of participating in the resumption of the 2019-20 NBA season amid the COVID-19 pandemic. But it turned out to be a rolling deadline that will give players more time to weigh the risks of returning to the court.
What Wednesday did represent, though, was the deadline for players to notify teams of their intention to sit out the restart if they are looking to be on the excused list to keep their salaries, with those determined to have a higher risk for severe illness from COVID-19 eligible for this designation. There were no players on the Miami Heat’s roster who informed the team of a decision to sit out the restart by Wednesday to be considered an “excused player,” according to a league source.
Others who simply want to opt out without pay for other reasons, including not wanting to live without family and/or friends for nearly two months, have more time to make that decision. July 1 is considered another soft deadline for those players, which is the last day for teams to register all players and staff who will be traveling to the Disney bubble.
But in reality, players can decide to opt out of the restart whenever they want — even after they arrive at Disney in July.
The NBA’s restart plan calls for 22 teams to finish their seasons at a fan-less quarantine-type environment just outside of Orlando at Disney’s ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex. The Heat plans to travel to the Disney complex by bus on July 9 and then will enter the league’s quarantine bubble, with the season restarting on July 30 and ending in October.
As for the Heat’s 17-man roster, no players have informed the team they intend to skip the restart yet. Miami All-Star wing Jimmy Butler plans to be part of the resumption of play, according to a league source, and impending free agent Derrick Jones Jr. told the Miami Herald he intends to play when the season resumes.
“We’re the Miami Heat. I don’t think anybody is going to sit out,” Heat center Bam Adebayo said last week.
Why would players under contract opt out of the remainder of the season?
Along with having to be without family for weeks, some NBA players are concerned a restart of the season could distract from the Black Lives Matter movement. Some are uneasy about the restrictive health and safety protocols that come with living in the bubble. Some are worried about contracting COVID-19.
And some are hesitant because of the heightened injury risk that comes with returning to eight “seeding games” and playoff action following a four-month break that began when the season was suspended on March 11.
As of Wednesday evening, three NBA players have already made their decision public to sit out the restart, according to reports. Those three players are: Portland Trail Blazers forward Trevor Ariza (family considerations); Washington Wizards forward Davis Bertans (impending free agent); and Los Angeles Lakers guard Avery Bradley (family considerations).
The NBA is allowing players to opt out of the bubble plan and they will not be penalized for staying home, but those players will not be paid for missed games unless they are ruled to be an excused or protected player because they are in risk categories for COVID-19.
Teams will be able to sign substitute players from July 1 until Aug. 14 to replace a player who notifies his team that he has elected to sit out the resumption of the season, is an excused or protected player because he’s considered high risk or tests positive for COVID-19 (mandatory COVID-19 testing for NBA players and staff began Tuesday). Even with the Heat at the league maximum of 17 players on its roster, it will be able to exceed that total to add a substitute player.
Those who have played in the NBA or G League this season and were not under contract this season with a professional team outside of the United States are eligible to be signed. Among the players still available who fit this criteria are guard Jamal Crawford, guard Trey Burke and wing Iman Shumpert, with The Athletic reporting that center DeMarcus Cousins will sit out the restart.
Former Heat guard Tyler Johnson was available to be signed until he agreed to a deal with the Brooklyn Nets on Tuesday during the league’s one-week transaction window that ends June 30. Johnson, who spent his first four-plus NBA seasons with Miami, signed a $50 million offer sheet with the Nets in 2016 before it was matched by the Heat.
In addition, former Heat guard Dion Waiters could find himself in the Lakers’ rotation after Bradley opted out of the restart. Waiters, 28, signed with the Lakers in March for the remainder of the season after the Heat traded him to the Memphis Grizzlies in February and the Grizzlies subsequently released him to make him a free agent.
Teams also can replace a player who tests positive for COVID-19 from the last day of “seeding games” until the final game of the 2019-20 season. However, the pool of available players is limited to those with zero to three years of service in the NBA.
The postseason is set to begin on Aug. 17 following eight “seeding games.” The Heat has already clinched a playoff spot.
