The NBA is restarting the 2019-20 season in Orlando, Florida. /CGTN's Pan Yufei
The 2019-20 NBA season will restart in a little over a month in the Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida and the teams have been busy dealing with player wills, coronavirus and franchise improvement.
Davis Bertans of the Washington Wizards shoots the ball, in the game against the Brooklyn Nets at the Capital One Arena in Washington D.C., February 26, 2020. /VCG
Players who refuse to play after game resumption
Davis Bertans of the Washington Wizards this week announced that he will not attend the season resumption in Orlando. Later, the Wizards said they support his decision and will make him the No. 1 target once he becomes a free agent.
The Latvian forward was one of the best 3-pointer shooters this season who could bury 3.7 shots from downtown at a 42.4 3-point rate. Many teams have been drooling for him and Bertans will become an unrestricted free agent soon.
Avery Bradley #11 of the Los Angeles Lakers defends the opponent in the game against the Philadelphia 76ers at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, January 25, 2020. /VCG
Avery Bradley of the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday told ESPN that he will sit the season out fearing he could endanger the health of his family.
"As committed to my Lakers teammates and the organization as I am, I ultimately play basketball for my family," said AB. "And so, at a time like this, I can't imagine making any decision that might put my family's health and well-being at even the slightest risk."
He was talking about his oldest son, six-year-old Liam who has a history of struggling to recover from respiratory illnesses. Taking him to Orlando where so many people gather behind closed doors does not sound very wise.
Meanwhile, Bradley's absence means the Lakers must find a replacement for his role, especially the tough defense he could provide. Alex Caruso may be added to the starting lineup but there are also reports about the purple and gold interested in signing LeBron James' former teammate J.R. Smith or former Laker Nick Young.
Trevor Ariza #8 of the Portland Trail Blazers shoots the ball in the game against the Boston Celtics at the Moda Center Arena in Portland, Oregon, February 25, 2020. /VCG
Trevor Ariza of the Portland Trail Blazers will not go to Orlando either. According to ESPN, the 34-year-old veteran will spend the time on the one-month visitation window with his 12-year-old son.
This cannot be good news for Rip City because currently they are 3.5 games behind the No. 8 Memphis Grizzlies in the Western Conference and forward position has been their biggest weakness this season.
From L to R: Buddy Hield, Jabari Parker and Alex Len of the Sacramento Kings. /VCG
Players who need to recover from COVID-19 before season resumption
Alex Len of the Sacramento Kings on Wednesday announced he tested positive for the coronavirus. He is the team's third confirmed case this week after Jabari Parker and Buddy Hield.
Hield and Parker were Sacramento's second- and third-scorer while Len was a key rotating center. The team trailed the Grizzlies by 3.5 games, too.
Nikola Jokic #15 of the Denver Nuggets dribbles the ball in the game against the Portland Trail Blazers at the Pepsi Center in Denver, Colorado, February 4, 2020. /VCG
Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets reportedly tested positive for the coronavirus and he's currently quarantining in Serbia. Jokic is expected to return to the U.S. within a week and should be cleared to attend the games in Orlando. The Nuggets are No. 3 in the West and they definitely need the 25-year-old All-Star center to make a difference in the playoffs.
Malcolm Brogdon #7 of the Indiana Pacers handles the ball in the game against the Brooklyn Nets at the Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana, February 10, 2020. /VCG
Malcolm Brogdon of the Indiana Pacers announced he tested positive for COVID-19 on Wednesday. "I recently tested positive for the Covid virus and am currently in quarantine. I'm doing well, feeling well and progressing well. I plan to join my teammates in Orlando for the resumption of the NBA season and playoffs," said Brogdon in a statement.
Brogdon joined the Pacers last summer with a four-year, 85-million-U.S.-dollar contract and his contribution to the team was bigger than the 16.3 points, 4.7 rebounds and 7.1 assists per game, especially considering that he carried the team's offense during Victor Oladipo's absence.
According to Arizona Republic, the Phoenix Suns have two confirmed positive cases. ESPN reported that a Western playoff team has four positive cases too.
Tyler Zeller #44 of the Milwaukee Bucks handles the ball in the game against the Oklahoma City Thunder at the Chesapeake Energy Arena in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, October 9, 2018. /VCG
Signing these players may be a desperate move, but it's better than nothing
The San Antonio Spurs announced on Wednesday that they signed free agent Tyler Zeller Since he was selected by the Dallas Mavericks with the 17th pick in the 2012 NBA Draft, Zeller has already played for five teams and San Antonio will be the sixth stop in his career.
Considering that Zeller only averaged seven points, 4.4 rebounds per game and rarely attempted to shoot from the 3-point line, it's hard to imagine that San Antonio will give him a major role on the court. However, since their starting big man LaMarcus Aldridge was already ruled out after shoulder surgery, Zeller should have more work than waiving towels on the bench.
Tyler Johnson #16 of the Phoenix Suns handles the ball in the game against the Sacramento Kings at the Talking Stick Resort Arena in Phoenix, Arizona, January 7, 2020. /VCG
The Brooklyn Nets on Thursday announced that they signed former Miami Heat combo guard Tyler Johnson. In fact, the Nets wanted to land him four years ago but their four-year, 50-million-U.S.-dollar offer was matched by the Heat. Johnson was traded to the Suns last year and was waived in February.
Having played over six seasons in the league, Johnson could get 10.5 points, 2.4 rebounds per game. The Nets though should be able to enter the playoffs, they lost their two franchise players, Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant and thus needed all the improvement they could get.
Corey Brewer #33 of the Sacramento Kings in the game against the Utah Jazz at the Vivint SmartHome Arena in Salt Lake City, Utah, April 5, 2019. /VCG
34-year-old veteran Corey Brewer joined the Kings, according to the team's general manager Vlade Divac. Brewer played temporarily for the Kings last February on back-to-back 10-day contracts.
The Kings still want to fight for playoff qualification but they already have three confirmed COVID-19 cases so it's only logical for them to make backup plans. Brewer scored career-high 51 points for the Minnesota Timberwolves in the game against the Houston Rockets in April 2014. The Kings would not need him to do that, but they will need Brewer's sharp sense for fast break.