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NBA Reschedules 11 Postponed Games

January 3rd, 2022 at 7:59pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The NBA has announced the rescheduling of the 11 games postponed in December due to COVID-19 issues, listing the changes in a press release.

Additionally, eight other scheduled games have been shifted to accommodate the postponements. A pair of others have been shifted to new starting times.

Most notably, Kyle Lowry‘s return to Toronto will take place two days earlier than anticipated, as Tim Bontemps of ESPN points out.

The Raptors will now host the Bulls on February 3 instead of the Heat. Lowry’s return will occur on Feb. 1 in Miami’s rescheduled visit. The game that Toronto was originally scheduled to play that day against the Hawks will now be played on January 31.

The first two makeups will occur next week — the Nets at the Trail Blazers on Monday, January 10 and the Pistons at the Bulls on Tues, Jan. 11.

“There’s no easy way to do this,” Nets coach Steve Nash said to Bontemps and other media members. “If we were expecting it to be a sweet little add to the schedule, and no blood drawn, that would be foolish.”

The other rescheduled dates are as follows:

New Orleans Pelicans at Philadelphia 76ers
- Previous: Dec. 19
- New: Jan. 25
Denver Nuggets at Brooklyn Nets
- Previous: Dec. 19
- New: Jan. 26
Toronto Raptors at Chicago Bulls
- Previous: Dec. 22
- New: Jan. 26
Chicago Bulls at Toronto Raptors
- Previous: Dec. 16
- New: Feb. 3
Miami Heat at San Antonio Spurs
- Previous: Dec. 29
- New: Feb. 3
Washington Wizards at Brooklyn Nets
- Previous: Dec. 21
- New: Feb. 17
Orlando Magic at Toronto Raptors
- Previous: Dec. 20
- New: March 4
Golden State Warriors at Denver Nuggets
- Previous: Dec. 30
- New: March 7
Cleveland Cavaliers at Atlanta Hawks
- Previous: Dec. 19
- New: March 31

COVID Updates: Towns, Russell, Tucker, Hyland, Robinson, Bryant, Neto

January 3rd, 2022 at 6:31pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Players around the NBA continue to enter and exit the league’s health and safety protocols. Here’s the latest update:

Timberwolves stars Karl-Anthony Towns and D’Angelo Russell have exited the protocols but won’t play against the Clippers due to reconditioning, the team’s PR department tweets.
Heat forward P.J. Tucker has been upgraded to questionable to play on Monday against Golden State after exiting the protocols, Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald tweets.
Nuggets rookie Bones Hyland has exited the protocols and is expected to be available for Monday’s road game against Dallas, Mike Singer of the Denver Post tweets.
Knicks center Mitchell Robinson has cleared the protocols, the team’s PR department tweets.
Wizards center Thomas Bryant and guard Raul Neto have cleared the protocols, Josh Robbins of The Athletic tweets. However, Tremont Waters, who is on a 10-day hardship contract, has entered the protocols, Robbins adds in a separate tweet.
Bucks forward Jordan Nwora has entered the protocols and will miss Monday’s game against Detroit, Eric Nehm of The Athletic tweets.
Rockets big man Usman Garuba has entered the protocols, Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle tweets.

Heat Notes: Chalmers, Guy, Depth, Dragic

January 2nd, 2022 at 8:29pm CST by JD Shaw

When veteran guard Mario Chalmers received a call about signing a 10-day hardship contract with the Heat, the two-time champion found it hard to believe, Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald writes.

The Heat weren’t in touch with Chalmers and his agents throughout the week. Rather, the opportunity for Chalmers came quickly on Thursday afternoon, a deal he accepted without giving much second thought. The team also badly needed players as it dealt with a sudden COVID-19 outbreak.

“I’m not going to lie. My immediate reaction is I didn’t believe it,” Chalmers admitted. “I thought my agent was playing with me.”

Here are some other notes out of Miami tonight:

New Heat guard Kyle Guy praised the team’s system and history of developing players, Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel writes. Miami also gave a 10-day contract to Guy, who recorded an impressive 17 points, four rebounds and three steals off the bench against Houston on Friday. He shot 6-of-8 from the floor and 4-of-6 from three-point range in the contest.
In a separate article for the Sun Sentinel, Winderman examines whether Guy’s strong first impression may prompt the Heat may reconsider their depth chart. At full strength, Miami has a second unit consisting of Victor Oladipo, Tyler Herro, Max Strus, Markieff Morris and Dewayne Dedmon, along with impressive third-stringers Gabe Vincent, Caleb Martin and Omer Yurtseven.
Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald explores why a reunion between the team and Goran Dragic is unlikely this season. Dragic is currently away from the Raptors and was recently seen working out at Miami’s facility, but the Heat are ineligible to reacquire him unless he’s traded to another team. Miami can’t acquire him in a trade with the Raptors or sign him if Toronto releases him.

Caron Butler Exits Protocols

January 2nd, 2022 at 4:55pm CST by JD Shaw

The Heat have its entire coaching staff back for Sunday’s game, Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald tweets. Assistant coach Caron Butler was previously in the health and safety protocols.

COVID Updates: Cheatham, Brown, Simpson, York

January 1st, 2022 at 10:15am CST by Dana Gauruder

Here’s are the latest updates regarding players entering or exiting the league’s health and safety protocols or on 10-day contracts:

Zylan Cheatham‘s 10-day contract with the Heat expired after the team’s game against the Rockets on Friday, Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald tweets. The Heat still have six other players on 10-day contracts and six players in protocols. Cheatham never appeared in a game with the Heat and entered protocols on Dec. 29.
Charlie Brown Jr. won’t receive another 10-day from the Mavericks, JD Shaw of Hoops Rumors tweets. Brown made three cameo appearances for Dallas.
Gabe York agreed to a 10-day contract with the Magic on Dec. 29. However, he tested positive for COVID-19 the next day, scuttling the deal, Justin Spears of Tucson.com reports. York has been playing with the G League Fort Wayne Mad Ants, the Pacers’ affiliate.
Guard Zavier Simpson agreed to a 10-day with the Thunder on Monday. However, he has also entered protocols, according to Shaw. It’s still possible Simpson could sign a contract once he’s cleared.

Kyle Lowry, Jae’Sean Tate Exit Protocols

December 31st, 2021 at 4:00pm CST by Luke Adams

The Heat, who have signed six replacement players in the last two days, will have some additional reinforcements for Friday’s game in Houston. Point guard Kyle Lowry has exited the health and safety protocols and is listed as available to play vs. the Rockets, per Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel (Twitter link).

Lowry only entered the COVID-19 protocols on Christmas Day, so he may have benefited from the NBA’s new shortened minimum quarantine period. It’s also possible he tested out of the protocols by returning two consecutive negative results at least 24 hours apart.

The Heat still have seven players in the protocols for the time being, including Duncan Robinson and P.J. Tucker.

Miami’s opponent on Friday also got some good news today, as Rockets forward Jae’Sean Tate has cleared the protocols, according to Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle (Twitter link). Like Lowry, he’ll be available for tonight’s contest.

Tate’s stay in the protocols was even shorter than Lowry’s — he just entered them on Wednesday, so he likely got the two negative tests he needed. His teammates D.J. Augustin, Garrison Mathews, and DeJon Jarreau remain in the protocols.

Heat Officially Sign Chalmers, Silva, Stauskas

December 31st, 2021 at 12:37pm CST by Luke Adams

The Heat have officially announced three previously-reported hardship signings, confirming in a press release that they’ve finalized 10-day deals with Mario Chalmers, Chris Silva, and Nik Stauskas.

Chalmers, 35, spent the first seven-plus years of his NBA career in Miami from 2008-15 and won a pair of championships with the franchise. The veteran guard appeared in a total of 646 regular season games and 99 postseason contests for the Heat and Grizzlies, but hasn’t played in the NBA since 2018. He recently joined the Grand Rapids Gold, Denver’s G League affiliate, in the hopes of making an NBA comeback.

Silva, who just completed a 10-day contract with the Timberwolves, began the season with the Iowa Wolves, averaging 15.1 PPG and 9.8 RPG in 12 games (25.6 MPG) for Minnesota’ G League affiliate. Like Chalmers, Silva has a history with the Heat — the former South Carolina standout began his career in Miami, appearing in a total of 55 games with the team between 2019-21 before being dealt to Sacramento at the ’21 trade deadline.

Stauskas, the No. 8 overall pick in the 2014 draft, appeared in 335 regular season games from 2014-19 for the Kings, Sixers, Nets, Trail Blazers, and Cavaliers. After a brief stint overseas, Stauskas signed in the G League for the 2021 bubble and then returned to the NBAGL this season. In 12 games (38.3 MPG) in 2021/22 for the Grand Rapids Gold, the 28-year-old has recorded 21.3 PPG, 5.8 RPG, and 4.4 APG on .429/.352/.915 shooting.

The Heat now have seven players on 10-day hardship contracts, as Chalmers, Silva, and Stauskas join Kyle Guy, Aric Holman, Haywood Highsmith, and Zylan Cheatham. Cheatham is in the health and safety protocols, but the other six players should be available for Friday’s game in Houston.

Heat Expected To Sign Chris Silva To 10-Day Deal

December 31st, 2021 at 9:19am CST by Luke Adams

The Heat‘s run of 10-day signings is expected to continue with forward Chris Silva, according to Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald, who reports (via Twitter) that the team is aiming to finalize a hardship deal with Silva ahead of Friday’s game in Houston.

Silva just completed a 10-day contract with the Timberwolves, but didn’t see much action during his brief stint with the team, logging only three minutes in one appearance. Before getting a call-up to the NBA, the 25-year-old had averaged 15.1 PPG and 9.8 RPG in 12 games (25.6 MPG) for the Iowa Wolves, Minnesota’ G League affiliate.

Silva and the Heat have a history — the former South Carolina standout began his career in Miami, appearing in a total of 55 games with the team between 2019-21 before being dealt to Sacramento at the ’21 trade deadline.

It has been a busy week for the Heat, who have already signed Kyle Guy, Aric Holman, and Haywood Highsmith to 10-day hardship contracts and are also expected to officially complete deals with Nik Stauskas and Mario Chalmers soon.

The club currently has eight players in the health and safety protocols and is missing a few more players due to injuries, so a handful of hardship signings were necessary to ensure no more games will be postponed, like Wednesday’s contest in San Antonio was.

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.

Heat Signing Mario Chalmers To 10-Day Deal

December 30th, 2021 at 3:45pm CST by Luke Adams

The Heat are reuniting with an old friend, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link), who hears from agent Jerry Dianis that Mario Chalmers will return to the team on a 10-day hardship contract.

Chalmers, 35, spent the first seven-plus years of his NBA career in Miami from 2008-15 and won a pair of championships during that time. Across nine total NBA seasons, the veteran guard averaged 8.9 PPG and 3.7 APG on .417/.351/.793 shooting in 646 regular season games (26.7 MPG). He also appeared in 99 postseason contests for the Heat.

Chalmers hasn’t played in the NBA since 2018, but – as we reported earlier this month – he recently signed a G League contract in the hopes of getting back into the league. He appeared in two games for the Grand Rapids Gold, Denver’s G League affiliate, before catching on with the Heat.

Miami has reached a series of 10-day agreements this week after having been hit hard by injuries and COVID-19. The team officially signed Kyle Guy, Aric Holman, and Haywood Highsmith today and also has a deal lined up with Nik Stauskas.

If Stauskas and Chalmers officially sign within the next 24 hours or so, we could see them in action as soon as Friday night in Houston.