NBA teams, players requested to go to 'bubble site' directly to avoid double quarantine

Now that the NBA is looking for ways to resume games, league authorities are sending memos regarding the potential "bubble site" option. The last notice talked about players, coaches, staff, and other people who will participate being required to proceed directly to the site to prevent double quarantine.

According to CBS Sports, an example of this scenario would be Toronto Raptors guard Kyle Lowry, who is currently in Philadelphia. If he first goes to Toronto to practice with the team, he will need to go into a mandatory 14-day quarantine. Once the Raptors move to the bubble site, the entire team, Lowry included, will again be subject to another 14-day quarantine.

That would use up 28 days. In a time when the league is already running out of time to salvage the 2019-2020 season, losing 28 days on quarantine is going to be a big setback.

Team trainers and coaches are aware of how much work out time is needed to get players back in shape to resume the season. That is especially true if the season goes straight into shortened playoffs.

A week before the NBA suspension on March 11, the league began sending memos to teams informing them of possible changes in the future due to the coronavirus pandemic. One of those memos talked about playing empty arena games that became a moot topic after all games were suspended. An isolated single venue is now the most feasible option to resume games.

Disney World in Orlando is currently the first choice for the NBA bubble site. The league is also talking about using the bubble site at the start of the 2020-2021 season.

At the moment, while such plans are being spread across the league, no official announcement has been made by Commissioner Adam Silver or the NBA Board of Governors. Everything is still up for discussion, while league officials weigh their options.

The league is also looking into satisfying the 70-game broadcasting contracts with various local networks. To reach it, teams will need to play at least 5-7 games each. However, for some teams such as the New York Knicks who are located in a coronavirus hot zone, five games wouldn't matter much to their season and financial standings. Risking the health of their players to play 5-7 games may not be worth it.