Sources: Kings To Open Practice Facility On Monday

Sacramento is one of several teams planning to open their practice doors next week

Could a return to basketball be on the horizon?

Per multiple reports, the Sacramento Kings will be opening their practice facility doors this upcoming Monday, May 11th. It will be the first time since the mid-March COVID-19 shutdown that NBA players have been allowed to practice in team facilities.

Source says Kings will re-open their practice facility on Monday. The Sac County Public Health Order (effective May 1) allows non-contact rec facilities to open (w/ social distancing/disinfectant processes). They’ll adhere to NBA guidelines detailed herehttps://t.co/RpmhTlfIFe

— Sam Amick (@sam_amick) May 7, 2020

Players and personnel will reportedly “be able to participate in individual workouts that will be highly regulated and highly sanitized,” Sam Amick of The Athletic writes. Workouts will be voluntary, with a limited numbers of attendees per session.

Last week, Sacramento County issued an updated health order that allows “non-contact recreational facilities and activities that include the use of shared equipment”.

Per Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, teams can designate six assistant coaches or player development personnel to observe the workouts.

Head coaches will not be allowed to be present for these sessions.

NBC Sports insider James Ham confirmed the reports Thursday morning, stating that the Kings will be allowing players to return on Monday under stringent guidelines. Ham also reported an update on the current health of Sacramento’s players:

Important line from the Kings' official press release this morning: "To date, no Kings players have experienced COVID-19 symptoms and per league protocol, team medical personnel check-in daily with players to confirm that they do not have symptoms."

— James Ham (@James_HamNBCS) May 7, 2020

While several teams will be looking forward to getting back on the floor, some franchises will be standing pat until significant steps are taken to ensure the safety of all players and team personnel.

Mark Cuban, who owns the Dallas Mavericks, went on the 77 Minutes in Heaven Mavs Pod show this week to share why he will not be opening the practice facility any time soon. Cuban raises the concern of testing, stating that if there are no tests, there is no assurances of safety.

“I just don’t think the risk is worth the reward.”

Mark Cuban told @bdameris and @MFollowill on their podcast that the inability to test for coronavirus is the reason the Mavs have no immediate plans to open their practice facility. pic.twitter.com/1w7l5TeUWj

— Tim MacMahon (@espn_macmahon) May 7, 2020

With news starting to trickle in regarding the return of professional sports, make sure to keep up on all the updates right here on Sports 1140 KHTK.

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