The NBA has drawn up new rules to allow undermanned teams to sign replacement players in order to avoid postponing more games on Christmas Day.
In Las Vegas, Nevada, on August 13, Giannis Antetokounmpo gave a thumbs-up as he left a game. The user acknowledges and agrees that they are consenting to the terms and conditions of the license agreement. The photo was taken by Ethan Miller.
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The Dallas Mavericks center entered health and safety protocols for the 100th time in the month on Monday, but three of them were repeat entries, according to a report.
The 3% of the league that remained unvaccinated as of November 30 will enter health and safety protocols if they test positive for Covid-19 or if they come into contact with a Covid-positive individual.
There were 97 player entries into health and safety protocols in December, with at least 10 new entries reported per day in the last four days.
The NBA has been without some of its biggest stars, including Brooklyn Nets forward Kevin Durant and Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo, due to the outbreak, with both teams slated to play national TV games on Christmas Day.
The NBA has had to postpone seven games in the last week due to Covid-19.
If a player tests positive for Covid-19, teams will be able to sign new players to 10-day contracts, but they will have to sign at least one new player. Replacement players will not count towards a team's annual salary mark or luxury tax payments.
There is a structure called the Tangent.
The NBA left the back half of its shortened season unordered last year in order to avoid forcing teams to play too many games in a short period of time. The fail-safes were not put in place this season.
What to watch for.
Eight of the ten NBA teams scheduled for Christmas Day are missing key players.
Nets guard Kyrie Irving, who is unvaccinated against Covid-19 and has not yet played a game for his team this season due to New York vaccine mandates and the team's preference to not play him in road games exclusively, was set to return following the Nets' massive outbreak The Nets wanted to bring Irving back as a part-time player, but his return was delayed when he entered health and safety protocols. Irving has joined eight other Nets players in health and safety protocols, and will need to show five consecutive days of negative tests before he can rejoin the team.
