Report: NBA leaning heavily toward Disney World

Orlando has moved ahead of Las Vegas as the top neutral-site candidate,
according to Charania.

ESPN reported Wednesday that the league is still weighing a return with action
in both Orlando and Las Vegas.

Commissioner Adam Silver said on May 12 he wanted to decide within "two to
four weeks" whether the NBA would attempt to resume the season halted on March
11 due to the coronavirus pandemic. According to ESPN, Silver and owners
reached agreement on the preference of a "campus environment" for the health
and safety of the players and teams, as well as the general public.

The league is set to issue protocols around June 1 regarding the return of
out-of-town players to teams, ESPN reported Wednesday. The same approximate
timeframe is when clubs are expected to be able to boost training from the
current socially distanced structure.

Per ESPN, the NBA's plan calls for a two-week stretch for the return of
players to allow for quarantine periods as needed per local regulations, one
to two weeks of solo training at team sites and two to three weeks of a full
training camp.

The end result could be the league giving the go-ahead in June for games to
start in July, ESPN reported.

On the most recent Board of Governors call, owners and executives were
encouraged about the league's steps toward returning safely amid the
coronavirus pandemic and about positive conversations with the National
Basketball Players Association, per ESPN.

The concept of a resort setting -- the type of location that would allow all
NBA teams to be housed in a controlled environment -- was floated first in
late March when Silver called upon teams to submit all ideas for an eventual
return. The Bahamas was also mentioned as a possibility.

The report added that Silver emphasized that in order for a return to occur,
all parties would need to accept that a single positive test for COVID-19
would not derail the season.

If a positive test would "shut us down, we probably shouldn't go down this
path," Silver said, per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.

The league suspended play March 11 after Utah Jazz All-Star center Rudy Gobert
tested positive for the virus.

--Field Level Media