COVID-19 Rumors | Hoops Rumors

And-Ones: Hinton, Vaccinations, Wallace, Selby

August 27th, 2021 at 2:13pm CST by JD Shaw

Free agent guard Amir Hinton is signing in Finland with Kouvot Kouvola, agent Jerry Dianis of Team Entertainment Sports confirmed to Hoops Rumors.

Hinton has also been selected to play for the Syrian National Team, Dianis said. The 24-year-old signed an Exhibit 10 deal with the Knicks as an undrafted free agent in 2019, attending training camp with the team later that fall. He spent all of the 2019/20 season with the club’s G League affiliate.

Throughout his 36 games in the G League, Hinton averaged 7.6 points, 1.9 rebounds and 15.7 minutes per contest. The 6-foot-6 swingman played collegiately at Lock Haven and Shaw University.

Here are some other odds and ends from around the basketball world:

The NBA is requiring that all team, arena and league personnel who interact with players and referees be vaccinated for the 2021/22 season, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link). As Charania notes in a separate tweet, this includes staff in coaching, performance/medical, equipment, player development, security, public relations, social media, scorer’s table and attendants. More specifically, this applies for staff that come within 15 feet of a player or referee, according to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst and Tim Bontemps. The league has set an October 1 deadline for personnel to be vaccinated, the duo adds.
Sixteen-year NBA veteran Rasheed Wallace has joined the University of Memphis as an assistant coach for the men’s basketball team, the school announced in a press release. Wallace joins a coaching staff that includes Larry Brown and Cody Toppert as assistants, along with Penny Hardaway as head coach.
Former Grizzlies guard Josh Selby has signed in Lithuania with Pieno Zvaigzdes, the team announced today (via Instagram). Selby holds 38 games of NBA experience and was the No. 49 pick in the 2011 draft. He has spent most of his professional career overseas.

Wizards-Pacers Summer League Game Postponed Due To COVID-19 Protocols

August 8th, 2021 at 12:44pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

8:02pm: The game has been scheduled for Monday at 1:00pm CT, according to the NBA.

12:44pm: The first day of the NBA’s 2021 Las Vegas Summer League has already been impacted by the novel coronavirus COVID-19.

The league has postponed tonight’s Wizards–Pacers Summer League contest in Las Vegas as a result of COVID-19 health and safety protocols, tweets Shams Charania of The Athletic.

It was announced yesterday that Wizards Summer League players Cassius Winston, Issuf Sanon and Isaiah Todd were being placed in the league’s coronavirus health and safety protocols.

Washington is unable to supply enough players to field a full club, per Charania (via Twitter). Other players beyond that initial report have joined their comrades in entering the health and safety protocols as a result of contact tracing.

The NBA had to cancel the 2020 Summer League after concerns surrounding the ongoing pandemic precluded a safe environment in which games could be played. With safe and effective vaccines on the market, the league felt confident that Summer League could resume this year, though it appears the NBA continues to monitor players’ potential exposure to the coronavirus, as it did during the 2020 “bubble” NBA resumption and the 2020/21 season.

Scott Agness of Fieldhouse Files reports that the Pacers will opt to practice instead of suiting up against the depleted Wizards.

Northwest Notes: Jazz, Nuggets, Martin Sr., Timberwolves

August 6th, 2021 at 6:40pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Jazz’s free agent moves were designed to make them a more complete playoff team, Tony Jones of The Athletic writes. Signing Rudy Gay in free agency and trading for Eric Paschall will allow Utah to match up better against small-ball lineups. The was something the Jazz struggled with when the Clippers went small against them in the postseason. The Jazz are also looking to sign their own restricted free agent, Trent Forrest, to a two-way deal, according to Jones.

We have more from the Western Conference:

The Nuggets began their summer league mini-camp on Friday following a COVID-19 related pause, Kyle Frederickson of the Denver Post reports. Denver’s first three practices were canceled due to health and safety protocols after a positive test and subsequent contact tracing.
Kenyon Martin Sr. is back in the NBA as an assistant coach with the Nuggets’ summer league team, Marc Spears of The Undefeated tweets. He’s hoping to remain in the league in a coaching capacity.
In a detailed interview with the Timberwolves‘ buyers, Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic tells of how former baseball All-Star Alex Rodriguez and Marc Lore made their deal with Glen Taylor. The transfer of ownership will be gradual process and Lore prefers it that way. “Glen had the team for almost 30 years. We’re thinking similarly,” Lore said. “We’re going to have this team for at least the next 30 years. … We don’t think we have all the answers. We’re not ready, quite frankly, to be making all the decisions right now.”

And-Ones: Lowry, Summer League, EuroLeague, Mudiay

July 25th, 2021 at 4:28pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

The destiny of unrestricted free agent veteran Raptors point guard Kyle Lowry this offseason will be a key story to monitor. The Athletic’s writers engaged in entertaining mock Lowry free agency negotiations this week, acting as Lowry’s agent, Mark Bartelstein, and team reps for the Raptors, Heat, Mavericks, Knicks, and Sixers. In the exercise, Lowry ultimately selected the Heat.

The 35-year-old Lowry, a six-time All-Star and a 2019 champion with the Raptors, averaged 17.2 PPG, 7.3 APG, and 5.4 across 46 games during the 2020/21 season. He posted a shooting line of .436/.396/.875.

Here are some other odds and ends from around the basketball world today:

The NBA has announced its COVID-19 health and safety protocols ahead of the upcoming 2021 Summer League in Las Vegas, tweets Shams Charania of The Athletic. There are significant differences between the restrictions placed on fully-vaccinated players and non-vaccinated players, ranging from quarantine restrictions to the frequency of testing for the novel coronavirus and permitted activities while in Las Vegas.
The EuroLeague has reached an agreement with its players’ association, the ELPA, on the first unified CBA across the league, per Alessandro Maggiuro of Sportando.
Lithuanian EuroLeague club Zalgiris Kaunas may sign recent former NBA lottery pick Emmanuel Mudiay, writes Donatas Urbonas of BasketNews.com. The 6’3″ point guard opted to bypass college ball and turned pro after high school, playing with the Guangdong Southern Tigers of the CBA during the 2014/15 season. He was selected by the Nuggets in the 2015 draft with the No. 7 pick, and served stints with the Knicks and Jazz. He last played in the NBA for Utah during the 2019/20 season.

Team USA’s Zach LaVine Clears COVID-19 Protocols

July 20th, 2021 at 11:44pm CST by Luke Adams

JULY 20: LaVine has cleared the health and safety protocols and will join Team USA in Tokyo on Thursday afternoon, USA Basketball announced late on Tuesday night (Twitter link).

With the NBA Finals now over, Booker, Middleton, and Holiday should all be able to report to the U.S. squad in Tokyo with plenty of time to spare before Sunday’s game as well.

JULY 19: Bulls guard Zach LaVine has been placed under the healthy and safety protocols related to COVID-19, according to USA Basketball (Twitter link). As a result, LaVine won’t be on the team’s flight to Tokyo today.

LaVine has not yet been ruled out for the Olympics like Bradley Beal was last week. According to Team USA, the hope is that LaVine will be cleared to travel to Japan later this week.

LaVine’s situation is the latest hurdle to overcome for a U.S. squad that has faced a series of challenges during the lead-up to the Tokyo games. Last week, Beal and Jerami Grant were placed in the health and safety protocols and Kevin Love withdrew from the roster for health reasons. Grant has since been cleared and will travel to Tokyo with Team USA, but Beal and Love were replaced on the roster by Keldon Johnson and JaVale McGee.

While it sounds like LaVine may follow in Grant’s footsteps and exit the protocols within a few days, Team USA runs the risk of being shorthanded until there’s clarity one way or the other on LaVine. The roster was already temporarily down three players, since Devin Booker, Khris Middleton, and Jrue Holiday remain active in the NBA Finals through at least Tuesday (or Thursday, if a Game 7 if necessary). The U.S. will play its first game of the Olympics on Sunday morning vs. France.

For what it’s worth, LaVine tested positive for the coronavirus in April.

COVID-19 Concerns Return Amid NBA Finals

July 17th, 2021 at 7:46pm CST by Arthur Hill

An NBA season that began under the threat of COVID-19 appears to be ending the same way. In addition to Thanasis Antetokounmpo, who has been ruled out of tonight’s Game 5 after being placed in health and safety protocols, the Bucks will be without assistant coach Josh Oppenheimer, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.

This will be the third straight game that Oppenheimer has been forced to miss, Wojnarowski adds (Twitter link), but there’s hope he may be back for Game 6 (Twitter link).

The virus has also impacted the officiating crew for tonight, as the league announced (via Twitter) that referee Sean Wright has been placed in health and safety protocols. James Williams will take his place.

There has been growing concern that the league wouldn’t be able to crown a champion without COVID-19 becoming a factor again, writes Sam Amick of The Athletic. Cases are rising across the country, and the sports world is feeling the effects. Bradley Beal had to leave the U.S. Olympic team this week and Jerami Grant‘s status is uncertain as he remains in the health and safety protocols.

Amick points out that the league has taken great precautions since the season started in December to minimize the effects of the virus. Testing has been constant for players, coaches and staff members, and some teams have been shut down for a week or more after recording multiple positive tests.

“There’s a real push to stay safe, to stay healthy, to be vigilant,” Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer said before today’s cases were reported. “Both teams, we’re very, very close to the finish. We’re excited about finishing this strong.”

There have been recent changes throughout the NBA landscape, Amick adds. Masks are once again required for media members after those policies had been relaxed, and staff members are being asked to stay away from public settings as much as possible. Suns guard Devin Booker told Amick that most players are choosing to stay inside and avoid potential risks.

Teammate Chris Paul had to sit out the first two games of the Western Conference Finals after returning a positive test. He’s concerned about his family in the Los Angeles area, which has experienced a recent surge in the virus.

“I pay close attention to it,” he said. “I have family just like everybody else. My parents (are) traveling to Milwaukee (for games), coming to this game (in Phoenix). My kids. L.A. just put a new mandate in where you wear a mask inside. My family is there. I pay attention to it just like everybody else. Try to control what I can control. Stay in the moment with the Finals, but health is a huge concern, not just for my family but for everybody.”

Team USA Has Exhibition Canceled, Searches For Bradley Beal Replacement

July 16th, 2021 at 9:02am CST by Arthur Hill

COVID-19 postponed the Olympics last year and is creating havoc in the men’s basketball competition with the Tokyo games just a week away. After Team USA lost Bradley Beal and had Jerami Grant placed under health and safety protocols on Thursday, the day ended with an announcement that today’s exhibition game between the U.S. and Australia has been canceled, tweets Marc Stein.

A press release cited “an abundance of caution” and stated that today’s women’s game between the two nations will go on as planned. Both American teams are slated to wrap up their exhibition schedules Sunday, with the men facing Spain and the women taking on Nigeria.

The Australian men’s team is operating under even stricter protocols than the U.S., which may have contributed to the cancellation, sources told Brian Windhorst of ESPN. Windhorst notes that players have limitations while in Las Vegas for the exhibitions, but they can freely move around their hotels and visit casinos. Because players’ family and friends won’t be allowed to attend the games in Tokyo, USA Basketball welcomed them to Vegas and has them in testing protocols.

“It’s costing people opportunities of a lifetime,” Draymond Green said Thursday after the announcement that Beal won’t be able to play in the Olympics. “We all came in hoping we wouldn’t be affected by it. It’s just not the way it’s gone.”

Officials from USA Basketball held meetings Thursday to decide on a replacement on Beal. Players from the 57-man roster that was announced in March will receive consideration, Windhorst adds, and coach Gregg Popovich said conditioning could be a factor with most NBA players well into the offseason.

“We have to make sure somebody is in shape because we don’t have time once we get there with just a couple of practices,” Popovich said. “It’s going to take a certain individual that we think can pick it all up quickly.”

Among the names that have been mentioned as possible replacements for Beal are Knicks forward Julius Randle, Sixers forward Tobias Harris, and Rockets big man Christian Wood.

Team USA Places Grant In COVID-19 Protocols, Working To Replace Beal

July 15th, 2021 at 1:30pm CST by Luke Adams

1:30pm: Team USA is working to replace Beal on its roster, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link). It’s unclear at this point whether a replacement will be required for Grant as well.

1:14pm: After Team USA guard Bradley Beal entered the coronavirus health and safety protocols in Las Vegas on Wednesday, a second player from the U.S. roster has joined him. According to Shams Charania and Joe Vardon of The Athletic (Twitter link), Jerami Grant has also been placed in the protocols.

Grant hasn’t tested positive for COVID-19, says Charania. That suggests the Pistons forward has entered the protocols for contact tracing reasons, which would result in a shorter isolation period as long as he continues to register negative tests.

However, Team USA is traveling to Tokyo soon, with their first game of the Olympics less than 10 days away. As such, the availability of both Beal and Grant for the Tokyo games remains very much up in the air.

While the hope is that Beal and Grant will be cleared to travel to Japan and play in the Olympics, the U.S. roster would require a pair of substitutes if both players are ultimately deemed unavailable.

In a story for The Athletic, Vardon suggested that Julius Randle might be a logical choice to replace Beal. Players who are part of the U.S. Select Team in Las Vegas – including Keldon Johnson, Saddiq Bey, and Darius Garland – are also viable candidates if USA Basketball is unable to secure a last-minute commitment from a veteran.

With the Suns and Bucks looking like they might be on track for a seven-game NBA Finals, Team USA was already at risk of being shorthanded to start the Olympics, since the turnaround for Devin Booker, Khris Middleton, and Jrue Holiday would be extremely quick if a Game 7 is required. USA Basketball may have to make decisions soon on Beal and Grant to make sure the roster is at full strength for its first game on July 25.

Olympic Notes: Bridges, Washington, Quickley, Stewart, Hernangomez

July 9th, 2021 at 11:33am CST by Luke Adams

Hornets forward Miles Bridges and P.J. Washington and Knicks guard Immanuel Quickley are no longer with the U.S. Select Team scrimmaging against Team USA’s Olympic roster in Las Vegas, tweets ESPN’s Brian Windhorst. The three players have been removed from the mix due to the coronavirus protocols.

A person with knowledge of the situation told Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press that one of those three players tested positive for COVID-19, while the other two were deemed close contacts and are being held out for precautionary reasons. According to Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News (via Twitter), Quickley entered the protocols for contact tracing purposes rather than a positive test, which suggests that one of the Hornets forwards was the player who tested positive.

Here’s more on the Olympics:

The U.S. Select Team is down another player, according to Windhorst, who tweets that Pistons center Isaiah Stewart suffered an ankle injury during a scrimmage and left the game to receive treatment. There’s no indication at this point that Stewart’s injury is a significant one.
Timberwolves forward Juan Hernangomez, who had been preparing to represent Spain in the Olympics, dislocated his left shoulder during an exhibition game and will miss the Tokyo games, Reynolds writes for The Associated Press. The Wolves put out a statement indicating they’re aware of Hernangomez’s injury, but there’s no timeline yet for his recovery and return to the court.
Warriors guard Stephen Curry said it was a “hard decision” not to play for Team USA at the Olympics this summer, but he has “no regrets at all” about opting to skip the event, per Nick Wagoner of ESPN. “You take everything into account,” said Curry, who has won a pair of FIBA World Cup gold medals but hasn’t played in the Olympics. “I take how I’m feeling physically, mentally, what’s happening around the league, all those things. It’s not one specific reason or a part of it, but just knowing at the end of the day do I want to play or not? And the answer was no at the end of the day. And getting ready for next season (with a) relatively quick turnaround is important to me and I have a plan of how to do that and get ready for when training camp starts.”

And-Ones: Broekhoff, Grant, Whittington, COVID-19 Testing

June 30th, 2021 at 9:54pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Former Mavericks swingman Ryan Broekhoff has re-signed with South East Melbourne Phoenix in Australia’s NBL for two years, according to an NBL press release. Broekhoff played for the Phoenix this past season. He withdrew from playing in this summer’s Olympics with the Australian national team in order to focus on mental health issues.

We have more from the basketball world:

Former NBA guard Jerian Grant is expected to sign with Italy’s Olimpia Milano, Aris Barkas of EuroHoops.net reports. While playing for Promitheas Patras in the Greek league this year, Grant averaged team-highs 15.2 PPG and 6.1 APG during the regular season. He was waived by the Rockets during training camp in December.
Small forward Greg Whittington, who played four games with the Nuggets this season, has signed with Lokomotiv Kuban in Russia, according to LokoBasket.com. Whittington, who underwent knee surgery in January, was cut loose by Denver in April after spending most of the season with the Nuggets on a two-way contract.
There have been no positive tests for the COVID-19 virus among players in the postseason since June 23, NBA Communications tweets. There were 94 players tested since that day. Chris Paul is the only player known to have tested positive since the playoffs began.