NBA Salary Cap Will Be Drastically Affected Due to Coronavirus Pandemic

As the coronavirus pandemic continues around the world, there are going to be wide-ranging consequences from the lack of economic activity due to the outbreak. One of more obvious impacts is the stoppage of professional sports leagues until further notice. Without games to put on, these leagues cannot generate the revenue they need to proceed with business as usual.

One of the leagues that is already recognizing the financial impact the outbreak will cause is certainly the NBA. Next season's salary cap threshold is contingent on is how much revenue the league and its franchises generate during the current campaign. With bottom lines already suffering in certain ways from the controversy with the Chinese government before the season, these latest setbacks will surely affect the salary cap for the 2020-21 season. The question is simply about how much.

With players such as Gordon Hayward, Andre Drummond, and Anthony Davis set to become free agents in the upcoming offseason, a sudden lack of available money could drastically affect how teams shape their rosters -- likely for years to come. While the salary shock may only last for one season, the implications on player movement in even one single offseason could have far-reaching effects.

Small-market teams will be the ones most eager to get the NBA underway as soon as possible in order to try to recover as much of the lost revenue as they can. Otherwise it's gonna be a long and difficult summer offseason in the NBA for many teams.