Las Vegas could be the site of an NBA tournament when the regular season resumes, followed by the NBA Finals, according to a report on CNBC. That is, if the coronavirus suspension of the season ends.
The Las Vegas Review-Journal said league executives and agents spoke with CNBC on a condition of anonymity. The Thomas & Mack Center seems to be the site favored by league officials. The NBA has rented the center and Cox Pavilion from July 10 to 20 to host the annual Summer League. But others connected to the center and the league called the report conjecture only.
The NBA suspended operations in early March, the first American pro league to do so. The league could cancel the remainder of its regular season and use a play-in tournament to finalize its seeding, the report said. If the plan comes to fruition, the first round of the playoffs would be best-of-five, with the winners playing a single-elimination tournament to determine who would play in best-of-five finals.
Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban has said when the NBA returns to play it likely would be without fans. The NBA has held its annual G League Winter Showcase in Las Vegas for the past two years, holding games without fans at Mandalay Bay Convention Center. Games were televised and only essential team personnel were at the event, along with some family, friends and media.
