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NBA's Restart Plan Takes Another Major Step Forward With Expected Release of June 1 Guidelines

By Scott Rogust

Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James may be vaulted back into NBA action.
Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James may be vaulted back into NBA action. / Harry How/Getty Images

Over a month ago, everyone thought that Major League Baseball would be the first professional sports league to return in the United States. But based off their ongoing financial discrepancies, the National Basketball Association is taking the lead to become the first league to return.

According to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski and Zach Lowe, NBA teams are expecting the league to unveil new guidelines on June 1, which will allow out-of-market players to return to their respective squads. Additionally, the belief is that teams will be allowed to ramp up their workouts for the eventual resumption of the 2019-20 season.

It's happening in parts, people! Rejoice!

NBA fans have been given the gift of great news two separate times on Wednesday. Earlier in the day, The Athletic's Shams Charania revealed that Walt Disney World in Orlando is the "clear front-runner" to host the league's return later this summer.

Some teams have already allowed their in-market players to return to the team's facilities to work out. Of course, not all teams have opened up their establishments, due to the partial re-opening guidelines of their respective states. So far, teams like the Los Angeles Lakers and the Cleveland Cavaliers have already opened up their facilities.

Commissioner Adam Silver has already told the other sports leagues that he wanted the NBA to be the first to re-open, considering they were the first to suspend the season once COVID-19 rapidly spread across the United States.

It appears Silver and the NBA are on the fast track to making that goal a reality.