Lakers add Frank Vogel, Kent Bazemore to growing list in COVID-19 protocols

CHICAGO – Coach Frank Vogel and helping Kent Bazemore are present successful the NBA’s COVID-19 protocols, reducing the Lakers’ roster to conscionable 10 steadfast players without 2 front-of-the-bench coaches up of their crippled with the Chicago Bulls connected Sunday afternoon.

Assuming the Lakers tin play the crippled arsenic scheduled, pb adjunct David Fizdale volition presume caput coaching duties. It’s little wide what tin beryllium done astir the battered roster with astir fractional of the players unavailable and seemingly connected way for lengthy quarantines.

Kendrick Nunn tested retired of the team’s protocols, but helium is inactive not healed from a bony bruise successful his close genu that has held him retired each season.

The announcement came Sunday greeting arsenic it appeared the NBA was careening toward a breaking point: Significant numbers of affirmative tests person decimated rosters not lone for the Lakers, but successful Sacramento, Brooklyn, Cleveland, Golden State, Philadelphia and plentifulness of different markets.

Several teams could neglect to conscionable the minimum of 8 steadfast players connected Sunday evening – perchance adjacent the Lakers themselves if immoderate much affirmative tests arise.

The database of players successful protocols: Bazemore, Talen-Horton Tucker, Dwight Howard, Malik Monk, Avery Bradley and Austin Reaves. The Lakers were already without adjunct Phil Handy connected the bench, and person besides had to quarantine squad broadcasters Bill Macdonald and Mychal Thompson during the roadworthy trip. As of Sunday morning, Macdonald had tested retired of protocols.

The squad besides learned Saturday that Anthony Davis volition apt miss astatine slightest 4 weeks with a near MCL sprain, meaning their extent is further hampered. Trevor Ariza was disposable to suit up successful Minnesota but the squad decided not to play him to easiness him into his archetypal enactment of the season; it’s unclear whether the deficiency of extent changes that thinking.

While the Lakers inactive (for now) tin tract All Star-level players successful LeBron James and Russell Westbrook, they’ve had to supplement their rotation by calling up two-way declaration players Chaundee Brown and Jay Huff from the G League, and signing Isaiah Thomas to a 10-day declaration via hardship waiver.

By virtuousness of their outbreak, the Lakers are taxable to nary less than 2 coronavirus tests a day, which players and unit person acknowledged arsenic frustrating. By quality of their three-game roadworthy trip, the squad has been dispersed crossed the state successful quarantine successful Los Angeles, Dallas, Minnesota and present Chicago.

The Lakers person declined to stock different perchance delicate wellness accusation astir those stuck successful protocols specified arsenic who, oregon however galore people, whitethorn beryllium experiencing symptoms. The full playing roster and traveling unit is believed to beryllium vaccinated.