Silver confident that season can be played safely

NBA commissioner Adam Silver said Monday he is confident that the league’s health and safety protocols will allow teams to get through the season even as the coronavirus pandemic continues.

Silver spoke on the eve of the season- opening doubleheader — Golden State visiting Brooklyn and the Los Angeles Clippers playing against the defending champion Los Angeles Lakers — and warned that he does not expect this season to go as smoothly as the games did last summer in the restart bubble at Walt Disney World.

He also said that if the league didn’t believe its plan would work, the season wouldn’t be starting.

“We do anticipate that there will be bumps in the road along the way,” Silver said.

Teams will play a 72-game regular season, down from the customary 82- game slate. The season is starting two months later than usual and the playoffs are set to stretch into July, all with players and coaches being tested daily and with nearly 60 players having already missed some time with their teams during training camp and the preseason because of positive COVID-19 tests.

And as was the case at Disney, social justice initiatives will remain top priorities for the league, Silver said.

HARDEN MUM ON FUTURE WITH ROCKETS >> James Harden remains a Houston Rocket with the start of the NBA’s regular season a day away.

How he feels about that is unclear, with the superstar refusing to discuss his future or answer any questions about consistent reports that he wants to be traded.

Harden reported late to camp as rumors swirled that he no longer wants to play for the Rockets and hopes to be dealt. He played in Houston’s last two preseason games and talked about the season on Monday as the Rockets prepared for their Wednesday opener against the Oklahoma City Thunder.

BUCKS LOSE 2022 2ND - ROUND PICK OVER EARLY BOGDANOVIC TALKS >>

The Milwaukee Bucks will lose a 2022 second-round pick after the NBA determined the team held discussions with Bogdan Bogdanovic or his agent before being permitted to do so under free agency rules.

Reports surfaced in the days leading to the start of last month’s free agency period that the Bucks had agreed on a sign-and-trade that would have brought Bogdanovic and Justin James to Milwaukee while sending Donte DiVincenzo, D. J. Wilson and Ersan Ilyasova to the Sacramento Kings.

The trade fizzled as the NBA announced it was investigating whether the move had been agreed upon earlier than league rules allow.

Bogdanovic, a restricted free agent, ended up signing with Atlanta when Sacramento chose to not match the Hawks’ four-year, $72 million offer sheet.