The NBA's board of governors has approved plans to restart its suspended season with a 22-team format on August 1 (NZ time) at Disney World in Orlando, Florida.
The board voted 29-1, with the Portland Trail Blazers being the lone franchise that voted against the proposal, even though they're one of the teams which will be competing.
The revamped competition will see 13 Western Conference teams and nine Eastern Conference teams contest eight games each to determine seedings for the playoffs.
Games will be played at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex, which is inside the Orlando resort and has multiple hotels and arenas, and would allow the league to limit outside exposure.
"The board's approval of the restart format is a necessary step toward resuming the NBA season," NBA commissioner Adam Silver said in a statement.
"While the COVID-19 pandemic presents formidable challenges, we are hopeful of finishing the season in a safe and responsible manner based on strict protocols now being finalised with public health officials and medical experts.
"We also recognise that as we prepare to resume play, our society is reeling from recent tragedies of racial violence and injustice, and we will continue to work closely with our teams and players to use our collective resources and influence to address these issues in very real and concrete ways."
ESPN reports players will undergo daily testing, and if one tests positive for COVID-19, they will be removed from the team to quarantine and be treated individually - and continue to test other team members as they play on.
Teams will begin arriving in Orlando between July 9-11 for training and practice games before resuming the season on August 1.
The season will wrap up no later than October 12, with the draft - which will include former NZ Breakers guard RJ Hampton - taking place three days later.
That will be followed by free agency starting on October 19, and if all goes to plan, the 2020-21 regular season will begin on December 2.
The NBA was the first North American sports league to suspend its season due to the COVID-19 pandemic after Utah Jazz center Ruby Gobert tested positive for the virus moments before their game against Steven Adams' Oklahoma City Thunder on March 12.
The Thunder were fifth in the Western Conference with a 40-24 record when the season was suspended.
