Report: NBA Bracing for Impact of Derek Chauvin Verdict

The NBA has told teams league-wide to prepare for the potential impact of a verdict in the Derek Chauvin trial in Minneapolis, according to ESPN.

The trial heads into final arguments Monday.

Chauvin faces charges of second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter in the death of George Floyd last May.

Chauvin, a former Minneapolis police officer, was seen on video kneeling on Floyd's neck for more than nine minutes after responding to a call about a counterfeit bill.

Floyd's death sparked protests across the country throughout last summer. The shooting death last week of another Black man, Daunte Wright, during a traffic stop in nearby Brooklyn Center has sparked renewed unrest as the trial has unfolded.

The NBA is preparing for the prospect of halting playing temporarily, based on the reaction to the verdict from the general public and teams alike. During the playoff bubble last season, play was halted for three days after another Black man, Jacob Blake, was shot by police in Kenosha, Wis.

The league postponed a game between the Minnesota Timberwolves and Brooklyn Nets after Wright's death. That game and another against the Milwaukee Bucks were eventually played in the afternoon as a precaution.

The Timberwolves began a four-game, seven-day West Coast swing on Sunday.