Ira Winderman: Erik Spoelstra says he is hopeful of getting Kyle Lowry back sooner than previous 10-day waiting period, amid NBA protocol change.
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Tim MacMahon: John Konchar has entered the NBA’s health and safety protocols, the Grizzlies announce. Konchar played well as a full-in starter in Memphis’ last two games.
Keith Pompey: Pascal Siakam, Gary Trent Jr and Malachi Flynn are back for the Raptors tonight vs. the #Sixers. The trio cleared protocols.
Jared Weiss: Celtics injury report for tomorrow vs. Clippers: Jayson Tatum, Bruno Fernando, Enes Freedom, Aaron Nesmith & CJ Miles - H&S Protocols - OUT Marcus Smart - Right Hand Laceration - QUESTIONABLE Dennis Schröder, Josh Richardson & Justin Jackson return from protocol.
James Ham: League source confirms that Alex Len has cleared health and safety protocols. He is still questionable to play tonight due to the extended layoff.
Fred Katz: Wayne Selden has entered health and safety protocols, Knicks say. He’s out for tonight in Minnesota.
Mike McGraw: Add Ersan Ilyasova to the #Bulls health and protocols list. Derrick Jones Jr. (hamstring) is listed as questionable for Wed's game vs. Atlanta
Adrian Wojnarowski: Toronto Raptors guard Malachi Flynn has cleared Covid protocols and will rejoin the team, sources tell ESPN. Flynn joins Pascal Siakam, Gary Trent Jr., and Khem Birch who recently tested out of protocols.
Joe Mussatto: Mark Daigneault has entered health and safety protocols, per the Thunder. Mike Wilks will serve as the acting head coach tonight in Sacramento. Dave Bliss previously filled in for Daigneault, so the Thunder will have its third head coach of the season.
Adrian Wojnarowski: Cleveland Cavaliers guard Darius Garland -- one of the season's revelations -- has entered into Covid protocols, sources tell ESPN.
Chris Fedor: I’m told #Cavs are hopeful Evan Mobley, who is out of protocols and didn’t have symptoms during his absence, will play tonight against New Orleans. But the plan is to first put him thru some stuff in pregame and then talk to him to see how he feels conditioning-wise.
Chris Vivlamore: Nate McMillan when I asked (again) if NBA should pause: “Of course I think that way, but it’s not up to me. The league is trying to keep this season going. Of course it’s really frustrating for us and a lot of other teams."
Fred Katz: Miles McBride is out of health and safety protocols, Knicks say. He’ll be with the team in Minnesota tonight.
Anthony Slater: Andrew Wiggins is cleared from health and safety protocols and not listed on the Warriors' injury report tomorrow against the Nuggets. Jordan Poole remains out. Wiggins quarantined in the Bay Area.
Andrew Greif: Ty Lue said Marcus Morris Sr. will have a minutes restriction in his return from covid protocols vs. Brooklyn.
Callie Caplan: Jason Kidd said 6 Mavs, including Luka, are still in COVID-19 protocol. But Reggie Bullock "is getting close to clearance" and plans to join team in Sacramento this week. Bullock was the first Mavs player to test positive in this outbreak, Dec. 18.
Shams Charania: Golden State Warriors guard Jordan Poole cleared health and safety protocols and returned to the Bay today, sources tell me and @Anthony Slater.
Eric Walden: Quin Snyder, on the Utah jazz being the last team without any players in the H&S protocols this season: "I don't feel any particular pride, I feel fortunate. We've tried to do the right things, but so have a lot of teams. … We're talking about an inevitability now."
Damichael Cole: Taylor Jenkins said with everything going on with COVID & the Grizzlies being on the 2nd night of a back to back, the team prepared virtually today. The staff used zoom to go over their rapport and put film on each player’s iPad before they offered input on the gameplan.
Barry Jackson: Heat TV analyst John Crotty has gone into health and safety protocols; Ruth Riley-Hunter will fill in alongside Eric Reid next few games, beginning tomorrow. The entire Heat broadcast team is coming off the road as a cautionary measure and to maintain maximum flexibility.
Tim Bontemps: Grant Williams is back and has no minutes restrictions, and the same situation for Al Horford, per Celtics coach Ime Udoka. Both have been unavailable due to COVID protocols for several games. Udoka has no update on Jayson Tatum's status, other than him entering them today.
Harrison Wind: Aaron Gordon (left hamstring soreness) and Bol Bol (health and safety protocols) are questionable for tomorrow at Warriors. Monte Morris (left knee soreness) is probable.
Dane Moore: Josh Okogie will return from COVID protocols for tonight's game, per Chris Finch. Patrick Beverley will not return tonight. But Chris Finch made it sound like a near certainty that Beverley will play on Tuesday against New York.
KC Johnson: Acting head coach Chris Fleming, via Zoom from Atlanta, said Billy Donovan had “mild symptoms at beginning” but “sounds like himself now and is excited to get back to work.” Shortened NBA quarantine time, as long as certain contagious thresholds are met, also applies to coaches.
Adrian Wojnarowski: Atlanta Hawks All-Star guard Trae Young has been cleared from Covid protocols and will return vs. the Chicago Bulls tonight, sources tell ESPN.
Neil Dalal: Wizards have upgraded Bradley Beal (protocols) to questionable for Tuesday night at Heat. Aaron Holiday joins Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Raul Neto, Anthony Gill, and Thomas Bryant as OUT in protocols. Rui Hachimura remains "questionable", but is not expected to play.
Jason Anderson: The Sacramento Kings are listing Alex Len (health and safety protocols) as questionable for Tuesday's game against the Oklahoma City Thunder. Davion Mitchell and Neemias Queta are still out.
Adrian Wojnarowski: Phoenix Suns center Deandre Ayton has entered Covid protocols, sources tell ESPN.
Mike Vorkunov: NBA just implemented new protocol where players/coaches can clear isolation 6 days after a positive COVID test. CDC just announced people can leave quarantine after 5. CDC director told the AP they want to "safely continue to keep society functioning while following the science”
Rod Boone: Cody Martin has been cleared from health and safety protocols and is available for tonight's game against Houston. #Hornets get their top defender back.
The wave of positive COVID cases sweeping through the NBA hit the Rockets again on Monday with power forwards K.J. Martin and Jae’Sean Tate placed in health and safety protocols. That will also lead to the Rockets adding players with 10-day, hardship exemption contracts.
This reduction in quarantine time is expected to immediately impact the status of numerous players who are already in the league's health and safety protocols. For players, you're considered to have tested positive on Day Zero, so a player would actually be back to play on the seventh day if he meets this new standard. Data shows that boosted individuals continue to clear the virus out of their system at a far more rapid rate than those who aren't, league sources told ESPN.
The decision to shorten the quarantine to six days, sources said, is based upon expert research and data -- including the league's own -- that shows no one with a cycle threshold (CT) over 35 has shown to be infectious again after five or six days, sources said. CT measures how many times a test has to cycle to find the virus in an individual. For example, a 35 CT is fainter than a 20 CT. The NBA and NBPA has relied on data from its own infectious disease experts, the CDC and models and research in the United Kingdom.
Adrian Wojnarowski: Vaccinated NBA players and coaches can now clear quarantine after six days if Covid-testing data shows they’re no longer at risk to be infectious, according to a memo distributed to teams Monday and obtained by ESPN.
Adrian Wojnarowski: The NBA and NBPA agreement comes at a time when players are testing positive and heading into quarantine at an unprecedented rate -- 172 have entered Covid protocols in past two weeks, including a single-day high of 27 on Sunday.
John Karalis: Grant Williams is officially available tonight vs. Minnesota
Jason Anderson: Kings forward Marvin Bagley III says his second case of COVID-19 wasn't as bad as the first, but he still experienced body aches, chills, etc. He said the virus "does something to my body." "When I come back, I feel tired, out of breath, especially the first time I work out."
Andy Larsen: FYI: the Jazz broadcast crew didn’t travel with the team on this road trip, citing coronavirus concerns. Team says they’ll broadcast from home “for the next several road trips.”
Adrian Wojnarowski: Portland Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups has entered the league's Covid protocols, sources tell ESPN.
Chris Haynes: Scott Brooks will serve as replacement head coach of the Portland Trail Blazers with Chauncey Billups entering health and safety protocols, league sources tell @YahooSports.
Alex Schiffer: Steve Nash said there’s no changes to the Nets’ health and safety protocol list. Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving are still in. He expects LaMarcus Aldridge to rejoin the team when they’re back east.
Adrian Wojnarowski: Phoenix Suns coach Monty Williams has entered Covid protocols and will miss tonight’s game vs. the Memphis Grizzlies, sources tell ESPN.
Adrian Wojnarowski: Suns assistant Kevin Young is likely the choice to become acting coach in Williams' absence, sources tell ESPN.
Josh Robbins: Wes Unseld Jr. said the Wizards are "hopeful" that Bradley Beal will play tomorrow against the Heat. But Beal's return is contingent on testing negative.
Jared Weiss: Grant Williams expects to return from COVID tonight, per source. Williams is listed as questionable in health and safety protocols and just boarded a flight to Minneapolis for tonight’s Celtics vs. Wolves game at 8 ET.
Jim Owczarski: #Bucks guard Donte DiVincenzo said he would never have known he had COVID-19 unless he had been tested. He said being asymptomatic helped him keep his conditioning up over the 10 days out - even if the ball felt weird once he got back on Dec. 25.
Chase Hughes: Anthony Gill has entered COVID protocol, also Thomas Bryant, per head coach Wes Unseld Jr. "I'm having a hard time keeping track of it. It changes by the hour."
Chase Hughes: Kyle Kuzma said he was pretty sick during his stint in Covid protocol. Said his first game back "was a struggle" because of how the symptoms and not playing for a few days affected his breathing.
Marc Berman: MSG Network broadcast crew won’t be traveling for this four-game road trip and will do games remotely, per source, with Covid-19 swirling. Walt Frazier is actually on a pre planned vacation to his second home in St. Croix.
Lonzo Ball: Y’all jinxed me
Shams Charania: Golden State Warriors star Draymond Green has entered health and safety protocols, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium .
Rod Beard: #Pistons Cory Joseph and Josh Jackson are in health and safety protocols ahead of tonight's game at #Spurs. DET has entered eight players in the protocols this week.
Trae Young: Missing it , 🖕🏽Covid pic.twitter.com/plVG8HgLaP
Jonathan Feigen: Rockets guard D.J. Augustin is in health and safety protocols.
Adrian Wojnarowski: Chicago Bulls guard Lonzo Ball is entering Covid protocols, sources tell ESPN.
Adrian Wojnarowski: Lakers guard Rajon Rondo has entered Covid protocols, team says.
Cody Taylor: B.J. Johnson and Chuma Okeke are out today at Miami due to health and safety protocols, the Magic announced. R.J. Hampton has been cleared from protocols and is available for today’s game.
Shams Charania: Three more Trail Blazers (five total) have entered COVID-19 health and safety protocols – Robert Covington, Ben McLemore and Keljin Blevins, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium .
New York Knicks PR: Jericho Sims (health and safety protocols) is out for today’s game against Atlanta.
Adrian Wojnarowski: Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo is expected to make his return to the lineup vs. Boston today (2:30 PM ET, ABC), sources tell ESPN. After 10 days in protocols, the two-time MVP had a strong workout on Friday and -- barring a setback -- is expected to be available.
Shams Charania: Milwaukee Bucks guard Donte DiVincenzo will make his season debut on Christmas Day vs. the Boston Celtics, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium. DiVincenzo was set to return Dec. 15 from June ankle surgery before entering protocols. Now, he’s back.
Adrian Wojnarowski: ESPN Sources: Hawks center Clint Capela has cleared Covid protocols and will play vs. the Knicks (noon, ESPN). Capela averages 11.5 points and 12.8 rebounds. Hawks still have eight players in protocols, including Trae Young. More on a two-hour NBA Countdown at 10 AM ET on ESP
Tommy Beer: Knicks announce Kevin Knox II has been cleared from health and safety protocols and rejoined the team
Toppin said he “didn’t have a lot of symptoms” after testing positive for COVID-19, but he mostly spent his 10 days idled in his bedroom away from his family. He said he worked out with elastic bands and watched “a lot of basketball” and a couple of Netflix shows. “Man, I was aching in that bed. I’ve never been in bed for that long,” Toppin said. “Like, that was the longest 10 days of my life, I ain’t gonna lie to you.”
