Jerami Grant Undergoes Thumb Surgery
Pistons forward Jerami Grant underwent a successful surgical procedure on Thursday to repair the UCL ligament in his right thumb, the team announced today in a press release. According to the Pistons, Grant will be reevaluated in six weeks.
That six-week timeline was reported over the weekend when Grant was first diagnosed with a ligament tear in his thumb. There’s no guarantee the 27-year-old will be cleared to return to action at that time, but it sounds like the earliest we could see him back on the court would be at the end of January.
Grant’s return date is worth keeping an eye on, since he has been cited recently as a possible in-season trade candidate. Marc Stein was the latest to confirm the rumor, writing today on Substack that there’s a “rising belief” Detroit is open to moving Grant, who is increasingly viewed by rival teams as one of the NBA’s top trade candidates. The trade deadline lands on February 10 this season, so Grant’s potential suitors will have to feel comfortable about his health before offering up major assets for him.
In 78 games (33.7 MPG) across two seasons with the Pistons, Grant has averaged 21.6 PPG, 4.7 RPG, 2.7 APG, and 1.1 BPG on .425/.344/.847 shooting. His averages this season are 20.1 PPG and 4.8 RPG with a .414/.331/.849 shooting line in 24 contests (33.2 MPG).
Nuggets’ Howard Out At Least Six Weeks Due To Knee Injury
Nuggets guard Markus Howard, who left Wednesday’s loss to Minnesota in the fourth quarter due to a left knee injury, has been diagnosed with a sprained knee and will be reevaluated in six weeks, the team announced today (via Twitter).
While it’s a relief that Howard didn’t sustain a more significant injury, it’s still tough news for the second-year guard, who is playing on a two-way contract with Denver for a second consecutive year.
After logging limited minutes in 37 games as a rookie in 2020/21, Howard has averaged 4.3 PPG on .355/.391/.875 shooting in 16 games (7.3 MPG) this season. He had recently entered the team’s regular rotation, averaging 16.7 MPG in the last three games, so the timing is unfortunate — he’ll likely have to earn those minutes back when he eventually returns to action.
Mike Singer of The Denver Post (Twitter links) notes that Howard’s absence could reopen the door for the Nuggets to be granted a hardship exception, since Jamal Murray, Michael Porter Jr., and PJ Dozier are also out with long-term injuries. In that scenario, Denver could circle back to Davon Reed, who made a positive impression during his 10 days with the club earlier this month, says Singer.
According to Singer (Twitter link), the Nuggets have also placed Porter in the health and safety protocols. That won’t have any tangible effect on the team’s lineup or rotation, since MPJ is expected to remain on the shelf all season as he recovers from back surgery.
2021/22 NBA Health And Safety Protocols Tracker
[UPDATE: This tracker is no longer being updated as of February 14, 2022.]
After finishing the 2019/20 season in a Walt Disney World bubble in Florida and spending much of the 2020/21 season playing in front of empty or half-full arenas, NBA teams had hoped to recapture a sense of normalcy in ’21/22.
However, while the season got off to a promising start, an increasing number of players have been affected by COVID-19, resulting in clubs playing shorthanded as outbreaks impact rosters around the league.
Players who test positive for the coronavirus have been required to remain in the NBA’s health and safety protocols for at least six days or until they return two consecutive negative tests at least 24 hours apart. Players who are unvaccinated have also been required to enter the protocols when they’re deemed to be a close contact of someone who tested positive — they can exit the protocols after a certain number of consecutive negative tests across multiple days.
We’re hopeful that in a matter of weeks, the number of players in the health and safety protocols will decrease significantly, rendering a tracker unnecessary. But for the time being, there are so many players in the protocols that it makes sense to compile the full list in one place in order to monitor which teams are most affected.
A few notes about this tracker:
- Our goal will be to update the list multiple times per day (if necessary) on weekdays, and at least once per day on weekends.
- The list will only include players, not coaches or other staffers.
- We’ll remove names from the list once they’ve “cleared” the health and safety protocols and reported back to their teams, even if they haven’t yet met the conditioning requirements and passed the cardiac tests necessary to return to game action.
The players currently in the NBA’s health and safety protocols are listed below. If you have any questions or corrections, please leave a comment below or use our contact form.
Updated 2-14-22 (9:42am CT)
Atlanta Hawks
- None
Boston Celtics
- None
Brooklyn Nets
- None
Charlotte Hornets
- None
Chicago Bulls
- None
Cleveland Cavaliers
- None
Dallas Mavericks
- None
Denver Nuggets
- None
Detroit Pistons
- None
Golden State Warriors
- None
Houston Rockets
- None
Indiana Pacers
- None
Los Angeles Clippers
- None
Los Angeles Lakers
- None
Memphis Grizzlies
- None
Miami Heat
- None
Milwaukee Bucks
- None
Minnesota Timberwolves
- None
New Orleans Pelicans
- None
New York Knicks
- None
Oklahoma City Thunder
- None
Orlando Magic
- None
Philadelphia 76ers
- None
Phoenix Suns
- None
Portland Trail Blazers
- None
Sacramento Kings
- None
San Antonio Spurs
- None
Toronto Raptors
- None
Utah Jazz
- None
Washington Wizards
- None
Wolves’ Edwards, Prince Placed In Health And Safety Protocols
Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards has entered the NBA’s health and safety protocols, reports ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link). The Wolves have confirmed Wojnarowski’s report and added that Taurean Prince has also been placed in the protocols (Twitter link).
Edwards played nearly 34 minutes for the Wolves in Denver on Wednesday night, scoring 38 points on 14-of-21 shooting. Prince hasn’t played in either of Minnesota’s last two games.
If Edwards and Prince tested positive for COVID-19, they’ll be out for the next 10 days or until they record two consecutive negative tests at least 24 hours apart. The team figures to test the rest of its roster now, so it’s possible more players could enter the protocols in the coming days.
Half of the league’s 30 teams now have at least one player in the health and safety protocols. The Wolves are the ninth team with multiple players in the protocols.
New York Notes: Quickley, Robinson, Durant, Ennis
Immanuel Quickley has become the latest Knicks player to enter the NBA’s health and safety protocols, the team announced today (via Twitter). Quickley joins RJ Barrett, Obi Toppin, Kevin Knox, and Quentin Grimes in the protocols, as COVID-19 continues to drain New York’s roster of available players. If Quickley tested positive for the virus, he’ll be out for the next 10 days or until he can return two consecutive negative tests at least 24 hours apart.
Here’s more on the NBA’s two New York teams:
- Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News interprets a recent Instagram story from Mitchell Robinson as the Knicks center once again cryptically griping about his role. Robinson, who scored two points in 14 minutes on Tuesday vs. Golden State, said in his Instagram story that he was “literally running for cardio,” insinuating that he wants the ball more, according to Bondy.
- Nets head coach Steve Nash badly wants to find a way to reduce Kevin Durant‘s workload, writes Tim Bontemps of ESPN. Durant is averaging 37.0 minutes per game this season, including 41.0 MPG over his last nine games with the team shorthanded. “I know he’s enjoying playing at the rate he’s playing at and trying to bring his teammates along with him and all the responsibility that he’s accepted and crushed, basically,” Nash said. “It’s just been incredible. But, at the same time, it’s not safe or sustainable to lean on him like that. There’s gonna be a lot of consideration and we’ll have to figure out ways to give him breaks.”
- Blake Griffin, who played with James Ennis in Detroit, is happy that the Nets are signing his former teammate. “Great guy, plays hard, great defense,” Griffin said of Ennis (Twitter link via Brian Lewis of The New York Post). “Kind of just one of those guys that can do a little bit of everything.”
Three More Magic Players Enter COVID-19 Protocols
After placing forward Ignas Brazdeikis in the health and safety protocols on Thursday evening, the Magic canceled their morning shootaround and have had three more players enter the protocols today, per Khobi Price of The Orlando Sentinel (Twitter links). A source tells Price that Terrence Ross, Moritz Wagner, and R.J. Hampton have joined Brazdeikis in the protocols and will be out on Friday vs. Miami.
Since vaccinated players haven’t been required to undergo daily testing for COVID-19 this season, those players have only been tested when they show symptoms of the virus or when they’ve been in close contact with someone who has tested positive. If Brazdeikis tested positive on Thursday, it likely prompted a round of testing for the entire roster.
Assuming Brazdeikis, Ross, Wagner, and Hampton have tested positive for the coronavirus, they’ll be out for the next 10 days or until they register two consecutive negative tests at least 24 hours apart.
Orlando becomes the seventh team to have at least four players currently in the health and safety protocols, joining the Nets, Bulls, Lakers, Bucks, Knicks, and Kings. Orlando is also missing several players due to longer-term injuries, including Jalen Suggs, Markelle Fultz, Jonathan Isaac, Michael Carter-Williams, and E’Twaun Moore, raising questions about whether tonight’s game vs. the Heat may need to be postponed.
It’s possible the Magic will have the minimum number of players available, but their current group of eight players includes Cole Anthony, Mohamed Bamba, and Gary Harris, all of whom are listed as questionable due to various ailments. Although the team is eligible to sign multiple free agents via the hardship exception, there may not be time before tip-off on Friday night to incorporate any new players.
Meanwhile, over in the Western Conference, Nuggets forward Bol Bol has reentered the health and safety protocols, according to Mike Singer of The Denver Post (Twitter link). Bol spent several days in the protocols earlier this month.
Warriors’ Poole, Two Celtics Enter Health And Safety Protocols
Warriors guard Jordan Poole is among the latest players to enter the NBA’s health and safety protocols, according to Anthony Slater of The Athletic (Twitter link).
Jared Weiss of The Athletic reports (via Twitter) that Celtics forward Grant Williams and one other Boston player have also been placed in the protocols. Shams Charania of The Athletic says (via Twitter) the second Celtic is Al Horford.
If Poole, Williams, and Horford have tested positive for COVID-19, they’ll be sidelined for at least 10 days or until they return two consecutive negative tests at least 24 hours apart.
The Warriors hadn’t had any players in the health and safety protocols prior to today’s update on Poole, but they faced the Knicks on Tuesday. New York has been experiencing a minor COVID-19 outbreak and placed Kevin Knox in the protocols on Thursday after he logged 20 minutes vs. Golden State.
The Celtics, meanwhile, put Jabari Parker in the protocols on Thursday, so they now have three players affected.
The Warriors and Celtics are scheduled to play on Friday night in Boston, so they’ll likely test and retest all their players today to make sure there are no more positives before they tip off.
Eric Gordon On Knicks’ Radar
Rockets shooting guard Eric Gordon is among the players the Knicks have discussed internally as potential trade targets, a source tells Marc Berman of The New York Post.
Berman cautions that the Knicks’ list is a long one, so there’s certainly no guarantee that the club will actually pursue Gordon, who turns 33 on Christmas Day.
However, Berman contends that the Knicks could use more three-point shooting and notes that point guard Derrick Rose has tried to recruit Gordon to New York in the past — the two veterans have a long history, having played AAU ball together.
Gordon has played well for Houston this season, averaging 14.7 PPG and 3.1 APG on .477/.434/.712 shooting through 24 games (29.9 MPG). He probably doesn’t have a long-term future with the Rockets though, since he’s a holdover from the pre-rebuild version of the squad and his timeline doesn’t fit with the organization’s new young core.
Still, it’s hard to envision the Knicks making a serious play for Gordon, who has a guaranteed $19.6MM cap hit in 2022/23 and a non-guaranteed $20.9MM salary in ’23/24. Pairing Gordon with Evan Fournier, another shooting guard in the same salary range, doesn’t seem like the best use of the club’s resources, and the Rockets almost certainly wouldn’t have any interest in Fournier, whose contract doesn’t expire until 2025 (guaranteed through ’24).
NBA, NBPA Agree To Adjust COVID-19 Protocols
The NBA and the National Basketball Players Association have reached an agreement to adjust the league’s COVID-19 protocols amidst a wave of positive tests among players and coaches, reports ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. ESPN obtained a memo stating that the NBA will increase testing and face mask use for players and staff during the holiday season.
Beginning on December 26, players and staffers – besides those who received their booster shot at least 14 days ago or those who recently recovered from the virus – will be tested for COVID-19 on game days. For most of the season, vaccinated players haven’t been tested unless they showed symptoms or were a close contact of someone who contracted the virus.
Additionally, as Wojnarowski details, players and staffers will be required to wear face masks on the bench, in their team’s workout facility, and while traveling with the team.
With so many teams shorthanded and taking advantage of the hardship provision to sign extra players, sources tell Wojnarowski that there’s been some league-wide discussion about finding an easier way to expand rosters.
The Magic added forward Ignas Brazdeikis to their injury report on Thursday night due to the health and safety protocols, making Orlando the 12th team to have at least one player currently in the protocols. A 13th team – Indiana – has its head coach, Rick Carlisle, in the protocols.
Of course, that number seems very likely to change in one direction or the other by the end of the day, since players are entering and exiting the protocols with increasing frequency this month. Lakers guard Malik Monk was the latest player to test out of the protocols on Thursday, per Wojnarowski and ESPN’s Dave McMenamin (Twitter link).
Northwest Notes: Ainge, Jazz, Hyland, Nowell, Wolves
Jazz owner Ryan Smith pitched Danny Ainge on the idea of taking on a role with the franchise during a recent trip to the Bahamas for Tiger Woods’ Hero World Challenge golf tournament, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski and Tim MacMahon. The two men had discussions during the trip about the concept of Ainge coming aboard, then worked out a deal when they returned to Utah, resulting in the Jazz hiring Ainge as their CEO and alternate governor.
“I’ve never been ready to talk about this before, but Ryan and I had a chance to spend a lot of time together,” Ainge said, explaining that he took the last six months to spend time with family and decompress. “We hashed it out, and we were both excited about this opportunity. I think it was the timing more than anything.”
Ainge will oversee Utah’s basketball operations and will work closely with general manager Justin Zanik, who will continue to run the day-to-day operations. As Eric Walden and Andy Larsen of The Salt Lake Tribune write, the team is enthusiastic about the idea of a “collaborative” approach to the front office and isn’t all that interested in establishing a linear hierarchy in which one person ultimately makes all the decisions.
“If you’re in the league, everyone knows to call Justin right now. I think that’s pretty clear,” Smith said. “(But) I think when it comes to decision-making, we’re the kind of culture where it doesn’t really work that way. … When it comes to that, you want to be right a lot more than you’re wrong, because some decisions aren’t clear. Bringing Danny on board helps increase our chances of getting that right.”
Sources close to Ainge told Tony Jones and Jared Weiss of The Athletic that the veteran executive always wanted a Jerry West-type role that would give him the flexibility to play plenty of golf and spend time with his grandchildren. He’ll work with the Jazz every day, but won’t be putting in the 16- and 18-hour days that he became accustomed to in Boston.
Here’s more from around the Northwest:
- Dan Clayton of Salt City Hoops, writing for The Salt Lake Tribune, provides a trade primer for the Jazz, examining the team’s needs, expendable assets, and possible targets.
- Nuggets guard Bones Hyland was held out of Wednesday’s game for a violation of team rules, but will be available on Friday in Atlanta, according to reports from Harrison Wind of DNVR Sports and Mike Singer of The Denver Post (Twitter links).
- Timberwolves guard Jaylen Nowell has been out of the rotation for most of the season, but has appeared in the last there games and logged a season-high 15 minutes last Friday. Nowell is hoping that he can carve out a more regular role, as Chris Hine of The Star Tribune writes. The stakes are particularly high for the 22-year-old, whose 2021/22 salary still isn’t fully guaranteed.
- Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic takes an in-depth look at the chemistry that’s developing between the Timberwolves‘ two young franchise cornerstones, Anthony Edwards and Karl-Anthony Towns. “If me and KAT just lock in here with each other, I feel like we will win so many more games,” Edwards said of his star teammate. “… He dominates, man. He can shoot, he can drive, he can pass, he can do everything. So playing with him makes my game a lot easier.”