New Orleans Pelicans Rumors: The Pels Season May Not Be Over Yet

The NBA has discussed a number of formats for returning to play, but one is starting to gain momentum and could include the New Orleans Pelicans.

Leaks about a rumored NBA return have been trickling out all week, some that could extend the New Orleans Pelicans‘ season and some that would end it.

The NBA has discussed bringing back just the 16 playoff teams, which would leave the Pelicans outside looking in. There have also been rumors about finishing a 70-game season, or having a play-in tournament, both of which would offer the Pelicans a potential route to the playoffs.

The most recent rumor came from the Woj Bomber himself, Adrian Wojnarowski, who said that the latest buzz is that the NBA could do a playoff “plus” that would include the 16 playoff teams plus the four bubble teams in the Western Conference.

How this would look is anyone’s guess, but as long as the New Orleans Pelicans get a chance to compete in meaningful games, they will be happy.

Some players, including Damian Lillard, have said they would not play in games that didn’t have playoff implications, so the league is probably taking potential player backlash into consideration when making their final decision about how to re-start play.

If play is to re-start it will most likely be in late July, or early August, as the players will need time to have a truncated training camp to get back into shape after being quarantined since the middle of March.

Players have been allowed back into practice facilities on a limited basis and it’s unclear when they will be given the green light to actually hold team practices.

The decision to re-open is a tricky one and will undoubtedly be controversial no matter how it is handled.

The New Orleans Pelicans are one of many teams in a holding pattern, waiting to find out if their playoff hopes are still alive.