Report: Wizards Have 2 Additional Players Test Positive for COVID-19

Two more Washington Wizards players reportedly recorded positive COVID-19 test results, bringing the roster's total number to five.

Shams Charania and Fred Katz of The Athletic reported the news Friday.

The Wizards' games Wednesday against the Utah Jazz and Friday against the Detroit Pistons were already postponed because of the previous positive tests.

ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported hopes were "fading" Washington would be able to play its back-to-back set against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Sunday and Monday after the third positive test, so two more COVID-19 cases likely diminishes those chances further.

The NBA has postponed nine games this season, including eight since Sunday, because of coronavirus cases and subsequent contact-tracing measures leaving teams without enough players to compete.

In turn, the league relayed updated COVID-19 protocols to teams this week in an effort to limit interactions between players and opponents in the arena or guests at the team hotel.

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said in December they weren't going to try jumping ahead of the general public in order to get players vaccinated:

"It goes without saying that in no form or way will we jump the line. We will wait our turn to get the vaccine. When you think about the logistical feat that now the federal and state governments are undertaking, where if every citizen ultimately requires two doses and with a population of over 300 million, it's beyond comprehension when you start to begin to think about the challenges of transporting and distributing this vaccine."

The NBA split its schedule into halves and only announced the first half so far in order to prepare for potential rescheduled games later in the campaign.

If the Wizards' games against the Cavs are postponed, their next chance to play would come Wednesday against the Charlotte Hornets. That contest is slated to kick off a five-game road trip for Washington.