NBA provides more detailed schedule for restart

The National Basketball Association gave teams a more definitive timetable for the restart to the pandemic-interrupted season Friday, including required coronavirus testing that is set to begin this month and mandatory individual workouts in early July before training camps.

The league is still working on completing the health and safety protocols that will essentially become the rule book for the restart at the Disney campus near Orlando, Fla. — and told teams that talks with the players association on those issues are continuing.

The NBA’s timetable, as of now and with the caveat that it is still considered tentative until the health protocols are done and agreements with Disney are signed, includes:

July 1 through July 7, 8 or 9 — Required individual workouts for players on the 22 participating teams, with the end date coinciding with which day that team would arrive at the Disney campus.

July 7, 8 and 9 — Arrivals at the Disney campus in Lake Buena Vista, Fla.

July 9-29 — Team training camps at Disney.

July 21 or 22 — Start date for three intersquad scrimmages for each team. The scrimmages will be scheduled by the NBA and will have NBA referees.

July 30-August 14 — Seeding games at Disney. The NBA is still working on completing the schedule for those eight games per team.

Aug. 17 — Playoffs begin. The playoffs are all scheduled as traditional best-of-seven series.

Aug. 31-Sept. 13 — Conference semifinals.

Sept. 15-28 — Conference finals.

Sept. 30-Oct.13 — NBA Finals.