OKC Thunder: Teams who’ll be affected by updated travel process

The OKC Thunder aren’t impacted by the updated travel process but players with positive COVID-19 tests will be.

In three days the OKC Thunder will be on a plane headed to the Disney bubble in Orlando where all 22 participating teams will congregate.

Leading up to this date the NBA is providing further process details on travel plans. In particular, the league detailed specific requirements for COVID-19 testing. During virtual media sessions, this week with players (Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Steven Adams, Danilo Gallinari) and head coach Billy Donovan a P.R. representative confirmed none of the 17 OKC Thunder have tested positive.

One item that stood out is testing for any player or team staff member who won’t be able to travel with the team. As per ESPN writer Malika Andrews that individual must undergo multiple tests and produce those results.

"If a player flies privately or drives, he will have to have two negative test results before resuming basketball activities. If he flies commercially, the player must have three consecutive negative test results, according to the memo."

This past week 25 players tested positive for COVID-19. Additionally, some staff or members traveling with their teams have tested positive. Making all players and staff travel separately is a smart decision by the NBA to ensure others in the traveling party aren’t exposed.

But, for the team and players who have to arrive separately, it could have another impact. Practices begin shortly after arrival so that player(s) not being available will impact the club’s process to ramp up as well as the individual’s time to get into game shape.

Teams affected by updated travel process

The following is a list of players and teams that were noted as having positive tests for the virus.

Brooklyn Nets:

• Spencer Dinwiddie *has not confirmed if he will play or not
• DeAndre Jordon *he will not participate at Disney given his history of asthma

Denver Nuggets:

Since Jokic was overseas the staff members who tested positive and led to the Nuggets shutting down their practice facility are two separate incidences. At this point, we aren’t sure if some of the unnamed players who tested positive were on the Nuggets.

• Nikola Jokic
• Staff members

LA Clippers:

Like the Nuggets, the Clippers shut down their training facility after they announced a member of their traveling party tested positive for COVID-19.

• Landry Shamet
• Member of the traveling party

Miami Heat

Jones was announced on June 25 while the three unnamed players were announced on July 3rd and 4th, so presumably are three additional players. The Heat shut down their practice facility which could also mean team staff has also tested positive.

• Derrick Jones Jr.
• Three unnamed players

Milwaukee Bucks: 

• Malcolm Brogdon

New Orleans Pelicans:

• Three unnamed players

Phoenix Suns:

• Two unnamed players

Sacramento Kings:

• Buddy Hield
• Jabari Parker
• Alex Len

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In addition, an ‘unnamed’ Western playoff team was cited as having four players who tested positive. Since the caveat, ‘playoff’ team was included we know it has to be one of seven clubs (as noted above the OKC Thunder players haven’t tested positive).

The speculation is that team could be the Nuggets or the Clippers because they both shut down their practice facility. Shamet’s results were announced on July 4th and the Clippers stated a member of their traveling party tested positive. That may remove the Clippers from consideration. If it’s not the Clippers or Nuggets it has to be one of the Lakers, Jazz, Rockets, Mavericks, or Grizzlies.

Considering the teams will all arrive in Orlando between the 7th and 9th this week, it won’t be too difficult to ascertain who is the ‘unnamed’ team. Perhaps the teams will be kept under lock and key from the media on-site covering the restart but presumably, the practices will highlight who is and isn’t on site.

Other players may fall into this situation as well such as Dwight Howard, Lou Williams, and Bradley Beal who as of this posting hadn’t confirmed if they will opt-in or opt-out.

Again, fortunately for the OKC Thunder the players have avoided contracting the virus and hopefully that remains the case. The first time we’ll see the Thunder in action will be in a scrimmage against the Boston Celtics on July 24th.

They’ll restart the season on August 1st in a match versus the Utah Jazz replacing the originally postponed March 11th game that became the catalyst to temporarily shutting down the NBA season.

One note: if an OKC Thunder player fails to get tested one of two days prior to leaving on the 8th or if he tests positive it would mean they would have to follow the procedure above (after quarantining in the case of a positive result)