Report: 4 Mavericks Players Test Positive for COVID as Pelicans Game Postponed
Four members of the Dallas Mavericks roster have tested positive for COVID-19, according to the Dallas Morning News' Brad Townsend.
The NBA has already postponed the Mavericks' game Monday night against the New Orleans Pelicans for reasons related to the COVID-19 health and safety protocols.
The Dallas Morning News' Callie Caplan reported Dallas had at least eight players available to suit up Monday, thus meeting the NBA's minimum threshold. However, the league was still performing contact tracing and wanted to take necessary precautions.
The issues aren't isolated to the Mavericks.
Sunday's game between the Boston Celtics and Miami Heat was postponed because the Heat didn't have enough eligible players. The Celtics' clash with the Chicago Bulls on Tuesday met the same fate because Boston didn't hit the roster requirement.
According to The Athletic's Shams Charania, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver spoke to a group of team governors and staffers and representatives from the National Basketball Players Association on Dec. 30. During the meeting, Silver warned January would be "the worst month."
"We are optimistic about improvements in February ... after we get through the darkest days," Silver said, per Charania.
Charania also reported that "there has been no conversation about pausing the season."
Per Marc Stein of the New York Times, the league could look into altering the health and safety protocols:
Under the terms of the current protocols, a player who tested positive must quarantine for a minimum of 10 days. The quarantine period can increase based on whether the player is symptomatic and when the symptoms stopped.
Upon clearing the protocol, the player then must work out for at least two days before he can fully rejoin his team.
It's unclear if any more of the Mavericks' schedule will be impacted by their present situation. Their next game is Wednesday on the road against the Charlotte Hornets.
