2020-21 NBA season unlikely to start this December

The NBA playoffs are in full swing. Less than a week since the start of the postseason on August 17, the first round is already as exciting as expected. NBA executives are working hard to put the schedule back on track, but they announced that the 2020-21 season might not start by December as planned.

The NBA-Disney bubble in Orlando, Florida, is a huge success. The restart pushed through despite early roadblocks such as fears of a potential coronavirus outbreak in the community and players opting out due to the health risk and social justice concerns. But today, the league is back to showcase the best of the best in basketball.

According to CBS Sports, Commissioner Adam Silver and the rest of the NBA should be applauded for achieving such a logistical feat. The players are doing their part by delivering quality basketball entertainment.

However, things are not so simple moving forward when looking into the 2020-2021 season.

The first step has been completed with the Draft Lottery. The Minnesota Timberwolves was able to get the top pick, but the highlight is the fact that NBA powerhouse Golden State Warriors was able to get the second.

Two-time MVP Stephen Curry represented the Warriors during the Draft Lottery. He is happy with the result and is pleased with the prospect of signing a promising player to replace Kevin Durant for next year.

But there are still plenty of issues for next season. Figuring out the appropriate salary cap will shake the league. Traditionally, it is calculated off this season's earnings and the projections of ticket sales and broadcasting revenue for next year. Given the pandemic, if the traditional formula is followed, most teams will need to let go of a superstar or two in their roster.

That's obviously not an option, even with the potential player salary cuts.

Finalising the salary cap also delayed the free agency. There's no point letting go of players if no teams are ready to rebuild their rosters to comply with the new salary cap.

There's also the logistical problem of creating a new bubble (or keeping the one in Disney World) to play the games. The coronavirus pandemic in the USA is still ravaging NBA cities, and it's still not safe to play games in home arenas.

If the season ends by mid-October as scheduled. 6 weeks is not enough for teams to sign players for the new season. At this point, the NBA is showing signs that the 2020-2021 season may be delayed as far back as February 2021.