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The NBA decided to delay the Bulls' next two games.
The NBA decided to delay the next two Bulls games because of the COVID-19 outbreak. 3:05
7:27 PM
Team executives and other health officials around the NBA said they expect more players to have to enter health and safety protocols after Christmas and New Year's due to the likelihood of increasing cases of COVID-19 nationwide.
One league source said that the Omicron variant hasn't yet been detected in the NBA. The winter months would be the most challenging according to infectious disease experts.
A Western Conference general manager said that most of them consider it a matter of when, not if, the Omicron variant will spread through the NBA.
NBA players have entered health and safety protocols at a higher rate this season than in the past. Over the past two weeks, 31 players have entered the protocols, including 10 Chicago Bulls in the past week, leading to two Bulls games being postponed this week, the league announced Monday.
The two G-League games were postponed because there were too many players. Team executives and team health officials have previously said they didn't expect the NBA to cancel or delay games because of recent outbreaks.
With 21 players remaining in health-and-safety protocols, general managers and team health officials across the league feel a sense of resignation and uncertainty as to what could slow the rising number of players in protocols.
The head athletic trainer of the Western Conference said eradication is not on the table. We're going to have to live with it.
Many team officials said that the situation is not as dire as it was last season, when 31 games were canceled or postponed due to COVID-19 outbreak around the league.
One Eastern Conference general manager said that it was much more manageable than it was a year ago. The situation is not as urgent as it was then. The NBA made that clear.
The NBA encourages all eligible players and team staff to get booster shots, as about 97 percent of players are vaccine free. The number of players getting booster shots is expected to increase in the days ahead, according to a league source. The NBA has a deadline for players who are eligible to receive booster shots. The players who don't receive the booster will be subject to stricter protocols. Staffers who don't get booster shots by the 17th will face restrictions on their interactions with players.
The Eastern Conference GM said that the recent increase of players entering the health and safety protocols was expected. We were told weeks ago that there was going to be an increase, not only in the NBA but in general. It's not out of the blue.
The second Eastern Conference general manager said the numbers were worrisome.
The head athletic trainer in the Western Conference said that the concern is around people who have not received a booster and are more than six months out. There is concern about the vaccines.
The NBA did not respond to the request.
According to league sources, roughly 30% of NBA players received the J&J shot, and that recipients have a higher rate of breakthrough infections. According to infectious disease experts, waning immunity from vaccine doses would potentially lead to more breakthrough cases and more urgent for booster shots.
The NBA does not require daily testing of players and staff due to its high vaccination rate. The NBA and NBPA agreed to test every player and Tier 1 staffer every day from November 28 to November 30 in response to concerns about increased cases around the Thanksgiving holiday. Increased testing didn't apply to any team that didn't play or practice during that time frame.
The NBA and NBPA agreed on a number of restrictions for players who are vaccine free, but not as many as last season.
It's unclear if the NBA would return to testing every player and staffer daily or if it would further restrict what people can do outside of a team setting.
One veteran Western Conference front office executive said that it would be hard to sell it to everyone since the vaccine rate is so high.
Several general managers said they haven't seen a lot of players or staffers with severe symptoms, which has lessened concerns.
Bulls head coach Billy Donovan told reporters that a lot of his players have no symptoms.
That's not to say that breakthrough cases don't lead to symptoms. Philadelphia 76ers coach Doc Rivers told reporters last Thursday that some of their players are still struggling with their physical health.
"I thought I wasn't going to make it," he said. I'm just thankful to be here, it was bad.
