Report: NBA, NBPA Nearing Agreement to Shorten Quarantines for Players with COVID-19
The NBA and players associated are reportedly nearing an agreement to shorten quarantines for those who test positive for COVID-19, per Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.
Shams Charania of Stadium and The Athletic previously reported the two sides were discussing the matter.
The change could allow players to return to the court sooner, potentially as soon as six days after testing positive.
The current protocols keep players out at least 10 days or until they produce two negative tests.
Outbreaks around the league have forced several notable players into the health and safety protocols while the NBA postponed several games this week involving the Brooklyn Nets and Toronto Raptors.
The Boston Celtics are also dealing with an outbreak with eight players on the COVID-19 list as of Thursday, per Charania. Big names like Giannis Antetokounmpo, Kevin Durant, Luka Doncic and more are also currently unavailable heading into high-profile Christmas Day games on Saturday.
Several team executives have reportedly voiced to the league that asymptomatic players should be allowed to play, per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski and Baxter Holmes. However, that plan was considered "a non-starter" by the NBA and NBPA.
Shortening the return time could at least limit the impact of players going on the COVID-19 list.
The NFL also recently made changes to its protocols that allows players to return quickly with negative tests.
Despite the growing rate of positive tests, the NBA does not plan to stop the season like it did in March 2020.
"No plans right now to pause the season," commissioner Adam Silver said Tuesday. "We have of course looked at all the options, but frankly we are having trouble coming up with what the logic would be behind pausing right now."
