The NBA and the National Basketball Players Association are close to reaching an agreement to reduce 10-day quarantine periods for players infected with the coronavirus, sources told ESPN Thursday.
Sources said the deal, which is expected to be shared with teams soon, could bring some players back into active play within six days, depending on testing procedures.
It’s not immediately clear how the looming change might affect the high-profile gaming slates on Christmas Day Saturday.
The NBA, which is following a similar change in NFL protocols, was following the guidance of the federation’s infectious disease specialist and the association. The National Basketball Association (NBA) is also looking at recent research in the United Kingdom and elsewhere.
Like the country and the world, the NBA has been feeling the outrage of a variable omicron, which Commissioner Adam Silver told ESPN’s Malaika Andrews on NBA Today is responsible for up to 90% of recent COVID outbreaks.
The NBA has entered 141 players into health and safety protocols this season, including 127 players in December. There were 130 new player cases in December overall, with three players logging into protocols multiple times this month.
ESPN’s Baxter Holmes contributed to this report.