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COVID-19 Updates: Doncic, SGA, Robinson, Hawks, Nuggets, More

January 1st, 2022 at 5:12pm CST by Arthur Hill

Mavericks star Luka Doncic has cleared the league’s health and safety protocols, sources tell Marc Stein (Twitter link). Doncic, who hasn’t played since December 10, missed a combined 10 games due to a left ankle injury and his time in the protocols. He’s expected to meet his teammates in Oklahoma City and may return to the court on Sunday.

Tim Hardaway Jr. and Maxi Kleber may also be able to exit the protocols in time for Sunday’s game, tweets Tim MacMahon of ESPN. Dallas, which has five other players still in protocols, managed to go 5-5 without Doncic and is holding onto eighth place in the Western Conference.

Here are more updates on players entering and exiting the protocols:

The Thunder will face the Mavs tomorrow without leading scorer Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who has been placed in the protocols, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link). Rookie guard Josh Giddey has been cleared to return.
Center Mitchell Robinson has entered the protocols, the Knicks announced (via Twitter). He becomes New York’s fifth player to be sidelined due to COVID-19.
Nate McMillan is the latest head coach to be placed in protocols, the Hawks tweeted. Assistant Joe Prunty will serve as acting head coach while McMillan is action (Twitter link from Wojnarowski). Atlanta’s Sharife Cooper, Danilo Gallinari, Kevin Huerter, Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot, Onyeka Okongwu and Delon Wright are all out of protocols and are expected to be with the team for Monday’s game at Portland.
David Adelman, acting head coach for the Nuggets, is joining Michael Malone in protocols, Wojnarowski tweets. Popeye Jones will run the team tonight in Houston.
Kings center Richaun Holmes has also entered the protocols, sources tell Wojnarowski (Twitter link).
The Hornets have gotten Miles Bridges and PJ Washington back from protocols, according to Rod Boone of The Charlotte Observer (Twitter link). Both are considered questionable for Sunday’s game against Phoenix. Vernon Carey Jr. has entered the protocols for Charlotte, however, Boone tweets.
Thanasis Antetokounmpo is the latest member of the Bucks to enter the protocols, tweets Eric Nehm of The Athletic.
Clippers guard Luke Kennard has been placed in protocols, a source tells Andrew Greif of The Los Angeles Times (Twitter link). The team issued a statement on coach Tyronn Lue, who entered the protocols while in Canada, saying, “We are working on the safest way to get him back home.” (Twitter link)

COVID-19 Updates: McGee, Buchanan, Hill, Wanamaker, More

December 31st, 2021 at 11:49am CST by Luke Adams

JaVale McGee is the latest Suns player to enter the NBA’s health and safety protocols, as Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic writes. McGee joined Deandre Ayton, Jae Crowder, and Abdel Nader in the protocols on Thursday evening.

On the plus side, the Suns did get Elfrid Payton out of the protocols for the second time this week — Payton was placed in the protocols on Sunday and Wednesday, but quickly cleared both times, so it’s possible he has registered multiple false positive tests in recent days.

Here are a few more protocol-related updates from around the league:

Shaq Buchanan, signed by the Grizzlies as a hardship replacement player, has now entered the health and safety protocols himself, according to the team (Twitter link). Buchanan’s 10-day deal runs through Tuesday night, so it may expire before he clears the protocols.
The Hawks‘ COVID-19 outbreak continues to spread, as Malcolm Hill – a 10-day hardship addition – has entered the protocols, per ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link). Hill, who had appeared in three games since signing with the team last Wednesday, is one of a dozen Atlanta players in the protocols.
Brad Wanamaker signed a 10-day deal with the Wizards on Wednesday, recorded seven points and seven assists in his first game with the club on Thursday, and has now entered the health and safety protocols on Friday, tweets Shams Charania of The Athletic. He’s one of seven Wizards players affected.
Kenyon Martin Jr. exited the COVID-19 protocols and practiced with the Rockets on Thursday, says Danielle Lerner of The Houston Chronicle (Twitter link).
We continue to update our health and safety protocols tracker several times per day. It can be found right here.

COVID-19 Updates: Wizards, Trail Blazers, Heat, Rockets, Sixers, I. Thomas, More

December 30th, 2021 at 8:22pm CST by Rory Maher

The league continues to be battered by players entering and exiting the health and safety protocols. If any of the players entering the protocols registered a confirmed positive COVID-19 test, they’ll remain sidelined for at least six days or until they can return two consecutive negative tests at least 24 hours apart.

Here are the latest updates from around the NBA:

Bradley Beal, Anthony Gill, and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope have exited the protocols and are active Thursday night for the Wizards, but Spencer Dinwiddie has entered the protocols, as reported by Shams Charania and Josh Robbins of The Athletic, Ava Wallace of The Washington Post, and Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (all four Twitter links).
Anfernee Simons and Brandon Williams have entered the protocols for the Trail Blazers, while Dennis Smith Jr. and Ben McLemore have exited and rejoined the team, per Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter links).
The Heat‘s outbreak continues, as Duncan Robinson and Marcus Garrett have entered the protocols, Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press tweets.
DeJon Jarreau has entered the protocols for the Rockets, as reported by Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle (Twitter link).
Shake Milton has exited the protocols and is active Thursday night for the Sixers, according to Gina Mizell of the Philadelphia Inquirer (Twitter link). Head coach Doc Rivers isn’t the only coach affected, as “several coaches,” including Sam Cassell and Brian Adams, are also in the protocols, Tim Bontemps of ESPN tweets.
Others entering protocols: Isaiah Thomas, who just signed a 10-day contract with the Mavericks Wednesday, Ivica Zubac of the Clippers, and Xavier Tillman of the Grizzlies, per the three teams’ PR departments (all Twitter links).
Others exiting protocols: Trevor Ariza for the Lakers, Lou Williams for the Hawks, and Ed Davis for the Cavaliers, according to Kyle Goon of the Southern California News Group (via Twitter), and Chris Kirschner and Kelsey Russo of The Athletic (Twitter links). Neemias Queta has cleared the protocols for the Kings, a source tells Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee (via Twitter). Nets center Day’Ron Sharpe has also exited the protocols, Brian Lewis of The New York Post tweets.

Hawks Sign Cameron Oliver, Chris Clemons To 10-Day Contracts

December 29th, 2021 at 10:28am CST by Arthur Hill

DECEMBER 29: Oliver and Clemons have officially joined the Hawks on 10-day deals, the team announced in a press release. Atlanta is now carrying an unprecedented nine extra players via hardship exceptions and 26 players in total.

DECEMBER 28: With their roster ravaged by COVID-19, the Hawks will sign Cameron Oliver and Chris Clemons to 10-day contracts under the hardship provision, tweets Shams Charania of The Athletic.

Atlanta already had 10 players in the league’s health and safety protocols, and that number grew today when Bogdan Bogdanovic, Gorgui Dieng and Malik Ellison were all added, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link). Trae Young cleared protocols Monday after submitting two negative COVID-19 tests.

Oliver, a 25-year-old forward, has been in the G League with the South Bay Lakers, averaging 14.4 points and 7.1 rebounds in 14 games. He was in training camp with the Lakers, but was waived before the season began. He played four games for the Rockets last season after signing a 10-day deal in May.

Clemons, a 24-year-old guard, was playing for the Maine Celtics in the G League, where he averaged 16.3 points, 4.9 rebounds and 4.0 assists in 14 games. He was with the Celtics in training camp and played 33 games for the Rockets during the 2019/20 season.

Wes Iwundu Exits COVID-19 Protocols

December 29th, 2021 at 9:01am CST by Luke Adams

Hawks wing Wes Iwundu has exited the health and safety protocols, sources tell Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link). According to Woj, Iwundu will rejoin the team in Chicago on Wednesday ahead of its game vs. the Bulls.

McMillan: NBA Should Pause Season

December 28th, 2021 at 7:31pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Hawks coach Nate McMillan believes enough is enough and that the NBA should pause the season, Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution tweets. The Hawks are one of several teams dealing with major COVID-19 issues. “Of course I think that way, but it’s not up to me,” McMillan said. “The league is trying to keep this season going. Of course, it’s really frustrating for us and a lot of other teams.”

Hawks Sign Justin Tillman To 10-Day Deal

December 28th, 2021 at 10:56am CST by Arthur Hill

The Hawks have signed forward Justin Tillman to a 10-day contract under the hardship provision, the team announced in a press release.

Tillman, 25, has been playing for Atlanta’s G League affiliate, the College Park Skyhawks, where he’s averaging 13.1 points and 7.5 rebounds in 14 games. After going undrafted out of VCU in 2018, Tillman spent most of his time overseas before catching on with the Skyhawks.

Atlanta has been one of the hardest-hit teams by the COVID-19 outbreak, with 10 players currently in the league’s health and safety protocols.

Deandre Ayton Enters Protocols; Trae Young Cleared

December 27th, 2021 at 5:16pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Suns center Deandre Ayton has entered the league’s health and safety protocols, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski tweets.

Assuming Ayton has been vaccinated, he will out at least six days or until he returns two consecutive negative tests at least 24 hours apart. He joins teammates Jae Crowder and Elfrid Payton in protocols as well as head coach Monty Williams. Ayton is averaging 17.0 PPG and 11.1 RPG.

On the flip side, Hawks star guard Trae Young has cleared the protocols and will play against Chicago on Monday, Wojnarowski reports in a separate tweet. Atlanta has a 1-2 record since Young entered protocols. He produced a second negative test to exit the protocols, Chris Kirschner of The Athletic tweets.

Young won’t have many of his usual teammates in uniform with him. Atlanta still has 10 other players in the protocols.

In Houston, Rockets players Jae’Sean Tate and Kenyon Martin Jr. have entered protocols, according to Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle. That increases the number of Rockets players in protocols to four.

The Wizards, who already had a handful of players in protocols, added Aaron Holiday to the list, Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington tweets.

Delon Wright Enters Health And Safety Protocols

December 27th, 2021 at 10:15am CST by Luke Adams

Hawks guard Delon Wright has entered the health and safety protocols, tweets Chris Kirschner of The Athletic. Atlanta’s roster is in rough shape, with 11 players now in the protocols, but – for now at least – the team still has enough bodies available Monday’s game vs. Chicago, including five replacement players (a sixth, Wesley Iwundu, is in the protocols).

Chaundee Brown Signs 10-Day Deal With Hawks

December 27th, 2021 at 9:19am CST by Arthur Hill

DECEMBER 27: Brown has officially signed his 10-day contract with the Hawks, according to a press release from the club. The deal will run through January 5, covering Atlanta’s next five games.

DECEMBER 26: The Hawks will sign swingman Chaundee Brown to a 10-day contract under the hardship exemption, tweets ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. The deal is expected to be completed Monday to maximize the number of games he can play.

Brown, 23, appeared in two games as a two-way player for the Lakers earlier this season. He was signed in mid-November when Sekou Doumbouya was waived, then was released on Tuesday when L.A. added Mason Jones. Brown was in training camp with the Lakers, signing an Exhibit 10 contract going undrafted out of Michigan this summer.

He’s the latest in a series of reinforcements for the Hawks, who have been hit especially hard by COVID-19. Atlanta currently has 10 players in the league’s health and safety protocols with today’s additions of John Collins and Jalen Johnson. The team has already signed five other players to 10-day deals using hardship exceptions.