Bucks wing Pat Connaughton revealed today, in a statement to ESPN and The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, that he recently tested positive for the coronavirus and has not yet reported to the NBA’s campus in Orlando (Twitter link via Matt Velazquez of The Journal Sentinel).
“I am healthy and I feel great and I am excited to join my teammates in Orlando once I meet all the NBA protocols,” Connaughton said.
Connaughton, 27, has been a key part of Milwaukee’s rotation in 2019/20, appearing in 61 games and averaging 5.1 PPG and 4.2 RPG in 18.3 minutes per contest. This is his second season with the Bucks after he began his NBA career by spending three years in Portland.
The Bucks are missing two rotation players due to COVID-19 — Eric Bledsoe also hasn’t yet reported to Orlando after testing positive earlier this month. While it remains to be seen whether either player will be ready for the Bucks’ first of eight seeding games on July 31, the club will be more concerned with making sure both players are back to 100% by the time the postseason begins in mid-to-late August.
The 53-12 Bucks have a 6.5-game lead on the Raptors and have essentially already locked in the No. 1 seed in the East, so they’re unlikely to be going all-out during those eight seeding contests.