Getty Jared Dudley, Anthony Davis & LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers.
The NBA is currently in limbo and it’s unknown what could happen once the 30-day suspension is up. This is an unprecedented moment for the league, so it’s hard to get an idea of what could happen. As of now, it seems very unlikely that the NBA will cancel the season and just start fresh.
According to Los Angeles Lakers player Jared Dudley, the plan is to resume the 2019-2020 season from where it left off.
“What I do know, and this is through stuff we’ve had — it’s on the table that the owners want to finish the regular season and [playoffs],” he told Arizona Sports’ Burns & Gambo on Thursday.
“I got confirmation that they have no problem going late into the summer to finish it up.”
Obviously, nothing is set in stone quite yet as the sports world tries to figure out exactly what they’re dealing with. Based on what Dudley is saying, it sounds like nothing will change outside of the dates games are played. Some have suggested shortening the regular season, but it appears that the league would rather finish those games out. There’s still a lot that needs to be figured out, but this is interesting insight from the NBA veteran.
Olympics Could Get Pushed to 2021
The NBA seasons is usually wrapped up by June every year, but this seems unlikely now. The Olympics are supposed to take place in Tokyo this summer. However, according to Dudley, that could also be pushed back.
“That’s the word I think the NBA is getting that they’re gonna postpone it till 2021,” Dudley said.
Many NBA players participate in the Summer Olympics, but if they’re still playing NBA games, that will take precedent. It would make sense for the Olympics to get postponed while the world plays catch up. The Lakers have seven finalists to make the Olympics’ basketball roster. Only would have likely made the final cut, but a potential postponement will complicate things.
Follow the Heavy on Lakers Facebook page for the latest breaking news, rumors and content!
Dudley Explains What Team Is Going Through
The Lakers were one of the hottest teams in the NBA when the suspension was announced. While the suspension could help them rest up for their playoff charge, it could also cool them down. Dudley explained what the team is going through currently.
“There’s a lot of stuff that’s kind of day-by-day,” he said. “But for sure, we’ve been on a roll and we’ve been playing at such a high level.
“Obviously your health is first, your family is first but I think every player wants to finish this season.”
It’s going to be a trying month for the Lakers as they’ve been on a mission all season. They were at an all-time high with consecutive wins over the Milwaukee Bucks and Los Angeles Clippers. This suspension will certainly hurt the momentum they had. Luckily, they have a lot of veteran leadership on the squad, so they should be able to overcome any tribulations they could face.
READ NEXT: Could the Lakers Bring Back DeMarcus Cousins After NBA Hiatus?