Forward Derrick Jones Jr. has become the fifth Bulls player to enter the league’s health and safety protocols, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link).
If it wasn’t evident already, the Bulls have an outbreak on their hands. Jones joins Coby White, Javonte Green, DeMar DeRozan, and Matt Thomas in the protocols.
It hasn’t been officially confirmed, but based on this tweet from Wojnarowski, it sounds like Jones tested positive for COVID-19 as well. If so, he will be out for at least 10 days or until he returns two consecutive negative PCR tests a minimum of 24 hours apart.
If Jones did test positive, the Bulls would be eligible to sign another player via a hardship exception, per Bobby Marks of ESPN (via Twitter). The Bulls already used the exception to sign Stanley Johnson in a move that became official today.
The high-flying Jones was the 2020 Slam Dunk Contest winner. Through 22 games this season (18.6 MPG), he’s averaging 7.0 PPG, 3.5 RPG, and 1.0 BPG.
Did all the Bulls share the same fork or something? Just wow, that’s a lot of players in protocol right now.
The Bulls have eighteen players on their roster including Stanley Johnson. Five players are in protocol and two players (Patrick Williams, Alex Caruso) are hurt. So only eleven players can suit up at this moment. Don’t know the league rules. Can the Bulls add more players?
“If Jones Jr. did test positive, the Bulls would be eligible to sign another player via a hardship exception”
Ok good time to add Simonovic to your fantasy team…
I don’t think it was a coincidence that Coby White came back and was the first one to go into the protocol, I know Vujevic was first but he was already back, and then the recent rash started. Anyway, some of them should start to be eligible to come back soon I would think.