In a reaction to a growing pandemic of COVID-19, a strain of coronavirus, pro sports leagues have suspended operations to try and limit the spread of the disease. The NBA was one of the first American pro sports leagues to suspend operations, making the decision after Jazz center Rudy Gobert tested positive for the disease.

© Provided by For The Win

The NBA said it was suspending operations indefinitely, but reportedly was eyeing a return after 30 days. It’s now looking like it will be quite a bit longer.

On Sunday evening the CDC recommended that any gathering of 50 or more people in the United States be cancelled for the next eight weeks in response to the virus, casting serious doubt on any league’s ability to resume normal operations anytime soon.

In a tweet on Sunday night, ESPN’s NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski reported that a group of NBA owners was targeting a mid-to-late June return to basketball, with all the games played in empty stadiums.

CDC recommendation of no events of 50-plus people for next two months comes as a number of NBA owners and executives increasingly believe a best case scenario is a mid-to-late June return to play — with no fans. League’s scouting for possible arena dates all the way thru August.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) March 15, 2020

Wojnarowski also reported, along with Malika Andrews, that the G League will most likely call off the rest of its season. The players will still be paid through the end of the schedule.

Reporting with @malika_andrews: NBA teams operating G League franchises expect rest of the minor-league season will soon be cancelled, sources tell ESPN. Regular season runs thru end of March, playoffs into April. Players have been informed they’ll be paid thru end of schedule.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) March 15, 2020

There are numerous things at play here, and too many unknowns to say anything definitively. We don’t know how this disease will spread, or if warm summer weather will slow its spread in the United States, or if a treatment will be discovered. On the basketball front, there will be questions about fitness, and teams will have to secure arena space during a time when the league is not normally operating.

Much isn’t clear. What is clear is that a return to sports in a couple weeks, or even just a month, is looking more and more unlikely. June may be an ambitious timeline.

— FOR THE WIN