Both the NBA and NBPA have been working together on potentially using blood-testing devices that could detect coronavirus within 15 minutes, which could be the key to allowing the season to resume, says ESPN's Baxter Holmes.
These tests are said to be able to deliver accurate results within five to 13 minutes.
The Washington Post reported that Abbott Laboratories has been mass-producing these "diabetes-like tests," that have already been shipping across the states to help detect the virus.
"Rapid testing results are key to return to work, return to sports, everything," an NBA GM told ESPN.
ESPN's Brian Windhorst said Friday that the league was "angling" to shut down the season. SNY's Ian Begley also reported that agents were preparing for such a scenario to go occur.
These tests, however, would turn that pessimism into optimism, and could put the Las Vegas plan of having everyone at a neutral site in play. NBPA VP and Nets' Garrett Temple told this to The Athletic about the benefits of having rapid tests within the league to maintain the safety of everyone:
"For me, I think the 45-minute test results is big, the ability to be able to test and get the results that quickly," he said.
At the end of the day, it will come down to timing. As Begley alluded to last week, agents are worried about the NBA Draft and how restarting the season in the summer will affect that part of the game.
The main issue revolves around draft-eligible players: A draft pushed back would give those players more time to think about whether or not to enter the draft, affecting the way recruiting is done throughout the summer.
