A 22-team format, a return date of July 31, and all games played at Disney's sports complex in Florida are some of the plans to ensure the NBA's return from the coronavirus lockdown.
The league's Board of Governors on Thursday is poised to give the green light to commissioner Adam Silver's return of basketball which would begin July 31 and end in mid-October with a champion being crowned, ESPN reported.
The plan requires support from three quarters of the league's 30 teams in order to be approved.
The NBA suspended its season on March 11 because of the global coronavirus pandemic.
The Milwaukee Bucks, Toronto Raptors, Boston Celtics, Miami Heat, Indiana Pacers, Philadelphia 76ers, Nets and Orlando Magic currently hold the playoff spots in the Eastern Conference.
The Los Angeles Lakers, Los Angeles Clippers, Denver Nuggets, Utah Jazz, Oklahoma City Thunder, Houston Rockets, Dallas Mavericks and Memphis Grizzlies occupy the postseason positions in the Western Conference.
Under the plan, each of the 22 teams will play eight regular-season games for seeding purposes for the postseason.
The 16 teams currently in the playoff picture will be joined by the New Orleans Pelicans, Portland Trail Blazers, Phoenix Suns, Sacramento Kings and San Antonio Spurs in the Western Conference.
In the East, the Washington Wizards are also included.
The Pelicans (28-36), Kings (28-36) and Trail Blazers (29-37) are 3 1/2 games behind the eighth-place Memphis Grizzlies (32-33) in the Western Conference.
The Spurs (27-36) are four games adrift of the Grizzlies, while the Suns (26-39) are six behind.
Washington (24-40) is six games behind the seventh-place Brooklyn Nets (30-34) and 5 1/2 back of the eighth-place Orlando Magic (30-35).
All games are expected to be within the confines of Disney's ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Orlando Florida, with all teams remaining on site to minimise risk of Covid-19 outbreaks.
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The American sports stars leading the coronavirus donation efforts - in pictures
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Utah Jazz player Rudy Gobert, who was the first NBA player to test positive for Covid-19, announced he would be donating $500,000 (Dh1.836 million) to various causes: $200,000 would be provided to game-day staff, while $100,000 will be donated to families impacted by the virus in Utah and Oklahoma City, and the other $100,000 will got to France, Gobert's home country. Reuters -
Atlanta Hawks CEO Steve Koonin said two weeks before the NBA went into lockdown that "we have to take care of our part-time employees", although what those measures might be has not been made public. AFP -
After Brooklyn Nets player Spencer Dinwiddie tweeted that the organisation has to "take care of the non salary arena staff", team owner Joe Tsai said the Nets were putting a plan in place for the Barclays Center staff. AP -
Cleveland Cavaliers player Kevin Love was the first player in the NBA to donate money when he pledged $100,000 to staff at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse - the home of the Cavs. AFP -
Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban was quick to announce that all employees who work events and games at the American Airlines Center would be paid in full during the NBA lockdown. The Mavs also released a statement saying they will reimburse employees for breakfast and lunch bought at Dallas-area restaurants to both ease their financial burden while helping out local businesses. AFP -
Detroit Pistons player Blake Griffin said he would be donating $100,000 to the workers and employees who work at the Little Caesars Arena in Detroit. AFP -
Golden State Warriors superstar Steph Curry and his wife, Ayesha, announced they were partnering with a food bank to provide one million meals to students in Oakland who cannot attend school during the pandemic. The Warriors as a franchise, including owners, players and coaches, will contribute $1m to a relief fund for Chase Center employees. AFP -
Houston Astros player George Springer said he would donate $100,000 to employees at Minute Maid Park, where the Astros play their home games. AFP -
NBA teams Los Angeles Lakers and LA Clippers and NHL team LA Kings, who share the Staples Center, announced they have created a joint-fund to compensate all the part-time and contract staff that work at the arena for NBA and NHL games. Getty -
Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo announced he and his family would be donating $100,000 to staff at the Fiserv Forum, tweeting: ""It's bigger than basketball". AFP -
Minnesota Timberwolves player Karl-Anthony Towns said he is pledging $100,000 to the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota to assist in the testing facilities for the coronavirus. AFP -
New Orleans Pelicans rookie star Zion Williamson said he would be covering the wages of all workers at Smoothie King Center for the next 30 days. "This is a small way for me to express my support and appreciation for these wonderful people who have been so great to me and my teammates," Williamson wrote on Instagram. Reuters -
Former NBA player Jeremy Lin said he was donating $300,000 in total: $150,000 was provided to Unicef and the same amount to China Foundation. AFP -
USA soccer star Kealia Ohai and husband JJ Watt, the NFL player, have donated $350,000 to Houston Food Bank. Getty -
Charlotte Hornets issued a statement on Sunday confirming that the franchise would be covering the salaries of all part-time workers at Spectrum Center who were scheduled to work any upcoming games that have since been cancelled. Reuters -
Chicago Bulls announced over the weekend that they and NHL team Chicago Blackhawks would pay game-day workers who will miss out due to cancelled NBA and NHL games. AP -
Indiana Pacers owner Herb Simon has said he has given financial aid to the part-time workers at Bankers Life Fieldhouse - the Pacers' home arena. Reuters -
Memphis Grizzlies said the franchise would be compensating all game-day employees for any games missed through the end of the year. AP -
Philadelphia 76ers have said the organisation will cover the wages of hourly and part-time workers at the Wells Fargo Center for cancelled games. AP -
Washington Wizards owner Ted Leonsis said that all stadium workers and employees will be paid through March 31 for any Wizards and Washington Capitals games they were scheduled to work. AFP
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Once it becomes official, the format would bring an abrupt end to the season for eight teams languishing outside the top 22.
The restart is also expected to include a two-week quarantine for players in their home cities, one to two weeks of workouts at team facilities followed by two-week training camps.
The league wants to have daily testing and if a player tests positive he would be isolated and quarantined. The others would carry on playing while still being tested on a daily basis.
The regular season was halted abruptly after Utah Jazz player Rudy Gobert tested positive. Gobert, of France, was given the all-clear about two weeks later.
So far, less than a dozen NBA players have been confirmed as testing positive for the coronavirus although not all have been identified.
