NBA COVID-19 tracker: Three Lakers, four Knicks in protocols; Kings fear outbreak, postponement, per report

The uptick in COVID-19 cases around the NBA has the league reportedly discussing modifications to its health and safety protocols with the National Basketball Players Association. The Omicron variant is here, and this week saw the first confirmed case of it within the NBA‘s player pool, per Shams Charania of The Athletic. 

With coach Alvin Gentry and multiple players in protocols, the Sacramento Kings canceled the practice they’d scheduled Thursday and temporarily closed their practice facility, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. The Kings reportedly fear that more players will test positive and that Friday’s game against the Memphis Grizzlies could be in jeopardy.

If there is an outbreak, Sacramento could find itself in the same position that the Chicago Bulls have been in. The NBA postponed Chicago’s games against the Detroit Pistons and Toronto Raptors (originally scheduled for Tuesday and Thursday), and, since, Dec. 1, 10 of its players have entered health and safety protocols, as have broadcasters Stacey King and Bill Wennington. 

Several Bulls may be eligible to return when they host the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday. King tweeted Wednesday that he had tested negative on Tuesday night, but still had a high temperature and felt weak.

Aside from those two Chicago games, there have been no other postponements. The Brooklyn Nets, however, had only eight active players — the league-mandated minimum for a game to be played — when they hosted the Toronto Raptors on Tuesday. Seven Nets players are in the protocols, and Brooklyn announced Thursday that it has signed Langston Galloway to a 10-day contract, using a hardship exception. (The shorthanded Bulls used hardship exceptions to sign Alfonzo McKinnie and Stanley Johnson, the latter of whom entered health and safety protocols before his first game.)  

Five Charlotte Hornets players were recently in health and safety protocols, but all have since been cleared.

Players who are not fully vaccinated must enter health and safety protocols if they are found to be a close contact of a person who has tested positive. As of Friday, players who have not received a booster shot will be subject to tighter restrictions, including game-day testing. 

If any player tests positive for COVID-19, he must immediately isolate until 10 days have passed from that test or the onset of symptoms, or until he tests negative on two PCR tests 24 hours apart. 

Also in health and safety protocols: Indiana Pacers coach Rick Carlisle and Toronto president Masai Ujiri. The Nets have coaches and front-office members in protocols, Steve Nash said Tuesday, and the Lakers have staffers in protocols, too. 

The Raptors announced Wednesday that they will play home games at 50 percent capacity, starting Saturday against the Golden State Warriors. On Thursday their G League team, Raptors 905, followed suit.

Players who recently cleared health and safety protocols include LaMelo Ball of the Hornets, Dillon Brooks of the Memphis Grizzlies, Kyle Kuzma of the Washington Wizards, Josh Richardson of the Boston Celtics, Justin Holiday of the Indiana Pacers and Austin Rivers of the Denver Nuggets.

Here is a team-by-team list of players in health and safety protocols, along with the date they entered:

Brooklyn Nets

• LaMarcus Aldridge (Dec. 14)
• DeAndre’ Bembry (Dec. 14)
• Bruce Brown (Dec. 14)
• Jevon Carter (Dec. 14)
• James Harden (Dec. 14)
• James Johnson (Dec. 14)
• Paul Millsap (Dec. 13)

Chicago Bulls

• Alize Johnson (Dec. 13)
• Troy Brown Jr. (Dec. 12)
• Zach LaVine (Dec. 12)
• Ayo Dosunmu (Dec. 11)
• Stanley Johnson (Dec. 11)
• Derrick Jones Jr. (Dec. 9)
• Matt Thomas (Dec. 9)
• DeMar DeRozan (Dec. 6; could return Sunday vs. Lakers)
• Javonte Green (Dec. 3; could return Sunday vs. Lakers)
• Coby White (Dec. 1; could return Sunday vs. Lakers)

Los Angeles Clippers

• Serge Ibaka (Dec. 15; out because he’s a close contact of someone who tested positive, per The Athletic)

Los Angeles Lakers

• Talen Horton-Tucker (Dec. 14)
• Dwight Howard (Dec. 14)
• Malik Monk (Dec. 14)

Memphis Grizzlies

• Ja Morant (Dec. 8; out indefinitely with knee sprain)

Miami Heat

• Caleb Martin (Dec. 11)

Milwaukee Bucks

• Giannis Antetokounmpo (Dec. 14)
• Donte DiVincenzo (Dec. 14)
• Wesley Matthews (Dec. 14)

New York Knicks

• Kevin Knox II (Dec. 16)
• Quentin Grimes (Dec. 14)
• R.J. Barrett (Dec. 12)
• Obi Toppin (Dec. 11)

Philadelphia 76ers

• Georges Niang (Dec. 15)

Sacramento Kings

• Marvin Bagley III (Dec. 15)
• Terence Davis (Dec. 15)

Toronto Raptors

• Precious Achiuwa (out since Dec. 12, not because of NBA health and safety protocols but because, under Toronto Public Health guidelines, he must isolate as a close contact of someone who tested positive; could return Saturday vs. Warriors)