Reports: NBA making progress on a return

The NBA reportedly took another big step in resuming its season that was suspended on March 11 due to the coronavirus pandemic.

During Friday’s Board of Governors call, the Los Angeles Times reported, NBA commissioner Adam Silver set a target date of July 31 as a return to action.

ESPN reported that the Silver’s final plan is to have 20 to 22 teams compete. A vote is expected on Thursday.

The Athletic reported that four scenarios to resume the season were discussed in Friday’s meeting.

They included:

1) Sixteen teams beginning the postseason immediately.

2) Group stage, which is similar to the World Cup where there are four groups of five teams apiece and the top two teams in each group advance to the quarterfinals.

3) Twenty-two teams, with the games to determine seeding and the final seeds.

4) All 30 teams return and each completes a 72-game schedule.

The NBA is expected to play its games at ESPN’s Wide World of Sports Complex in Orlando, Fla.

The 76ers were 39-26 when the season was suspended and they were seeded sixth in the Eastern Conference.

On Wednesday, the Sixers opened their practice facility in Camden for voluntary individual workouts. That came one day after New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy announced that all professional sports teams in the state can return to training and competition “if their leagues choose to move in that direction.”