NBA developing plans for second bubble for teams not in Orlando bubble

This is kinda old news, but it’s worth talking about. The NBA is in ‘deep discussions’ about a second bubble, this one in Chicago, that would host the eight teams that were not invited to Orlando, which includes the Charlotte Hornets. Those teams will henceforth be known as the Delete Eight (credit to whoever came up with that. It wasn’t me.).

Delete Eight front offices have voiced a preference to hold mini-camps in their local markets with a couple weeks of games against the other teams not participating in Orlando, but that has received push back from NBPA union leader Michele Roberts and commissioner Adam Silver, who don’t want different standards for the different groups of teams. But even if they don’t get their ideal setup, the teams are generally okay with anything that will get them back on the court.

If this plan comes to fruition, the Delete Eight would play a Summer League type slate of games featuring as much of their roster as they can get to participate. Play would start in September. So if you get tired of watching playoff basketball in Orlando, you can tune into the have-nots in Chicago.

The format works out very well for the Hornets, who are almost entirely comprised of young players that need more game reps. We’d probably see rotations that strongly resemble what we saw in the regular regular season. Other teams will probably sit out their established stars, but who cares? It’s basketball, and we’ll always root for more basketball, especially if it includes the Hornets.