The NBA is working hard to get the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreaks that affected multiple teams over the last week under control.
Several games have been postponed and franchises such as the Miami Heat and Philadelphia 76ers have had to play games without their stars due to the recent avalanche of positive cases. In an attempt to ameliorate the situation, the league has tightened health and safety protocols and implemented new rules that will further limit contact between players.
Also, the NBA is said to be considering changes to the rules regarding two-way contracts. In an effort to provide relief to thinning rosters, league officials might allow teams to sign a third two-way player and loosen the game-limit restrictions imposed on them.
Los Angeles Lakers head coach Frank Vogel welcomes the idea, explaining that current regulations forced him to leave Devontae Cacok and Kostas Antetokounmpo inactive for certain games. “I think there’s a [50]-game limit on how many games they can be active,” he said.
“While we’re at full strength or close to full strength, we’ve kept them inactive even if we’ve had one or two guys out. In particular, on this last trip, there were some games where we could’ve activated those guys, but chose not to because of that limit.
“It’s something I think the league is smart for looking at, to make those guys available as much as possible.”
Despite the Lakers being up against the hard cap, they would be permitted to add a third two-way player to their roster because that type of deal does not count against the salary cap.
Normally, two-way players have been capped at 45 days with an NBA, but that rule has been modified this season to being active for 50 actual games.
NBA considers extra game-day testing
The NBA is reportedly aiming to boost its testing efforts by adding more game-time tests with results being returned at least an hour before tip-off.
League officials are believed to have asked teams to find a local provider of COVID-19 tests that could turn around at least 40 tests on game days.
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