NBA Roster, Transaction, Injury, COVID-19 Guidelines Explained for 2020 Restart

As the NBA prepares for the return of the 2019-20 season, the league is amending its roster rules to account for the current situation. 

According to ESPN's Bobby Marks, teams will have a one-week window in which they can sign or release players prior to the resumption. The window will likely open prior to July 1. Rosters will be limited to 15 players, 13 of whom would be active for a given game.

In the event of a serious injury or positive coronavirus test, a team can bring in a replacement player. However, the player will have had to be under an NBA or NBA G League contract this season.

"Under these restrictions, for example, no team could sign veteran Jamal Crawford—who went unsigned all season—or an international player," per Marks.

According to The Ringer's Kevin O'Connor, any player who tests positive for COVID-19 will need to quarantine for at least 10 days and have two negative tests before rejoining their team. That same protocol will be applied to any player who leaves the Disney World bubble and returns.

O'Connor noted that playoff rosters will be finalized after the regular-season games and once the postseason starts, only players who test positive for COVID-19 can be replaced on the roster—and only by players on two-way contracts.

Players who are already injured can be replaced prior to the restart, but they would be ineligible to play in the postseason and unable to travel to Orlando, Florida, with their team. 

Brooklyn Nets star Kevin Durant confirmed to The Undefeated's Marc J. Spears he won't be making his return from a torn Achilles this summer. As a result, he'll be watching the Nets from afar and continuing to work out away from the team.

The NBA announced last Thursday the league's Board of Governors approved a plan to have 22 teams stationed at Walt Disney Resort in Orlando. Games are scheduled to tip off July 31. Eight "seeding games" would precede a traditional 16-team playoff, and a play-in tournament for the No. 8 seed might be required.

According to Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium, players will move to Orlando on June 21 and be tested for the coronavirus on June 22:

Marks noted a player who is added to a roster after a team arrives in Orlando would need to be tested and quarantined—perhaps for one week—before he'd receive the green light to take the court.