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Report: NBA hasn't committed to paying players beyond April 1

Patrick Smith / Getty Images Sport / Getty

Although NBA teams plan to pay their players on schedule through April 1, the league has not committed to making the payments scheduled for April 15, sources told ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.

The National Basketball Players Association reportedly sent a memo to the players last week detailing the "force majeure" clause in the current CBA, which would allow the league to withhold approximately 1.1% of a players' salary for each game canceled due to a cataclysmic event - such as the ongoing stoppage caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The NBA and the NBPA are reportedly having ongoing discussions about the issue, according to Wojnarowski. The league office apparently told teams to expect "additional guidance" about the April 15 payment date.

The NBA season has been on hiatus since March 11 when Utah Jazz All-Star Rudy Gobert became the first player to test positive for COVID-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus. Commissioner Adam Silver then said last week that he expected the hiatus to last at least 30 days.

Meanwhile, some NBA owners and executives are reportedly bracing for a best-case scenario that would see a return to live game action in mid-to-late June, with teams being instructed to explore the availability of facilities for as late as August.

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