NBA Players Free To Travel While Practice Facilities Close

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – NBA players are once again free to travel within the United States according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. League players had been asked to remain in their team’s host cities in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak that has sidelined professional sports stars across the spectrum.

After suspending play last Wednesday night, players were flown back to their host cities where they were asked to remain until provided further instruction by the NBA. Those guidelines have changed in the week since, allowing players to reunite with family members amid the pandemic.

Including Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert, the first player to test positive for COVID-19, the NBA has had seven known cases of players contracting the virus including Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell, Detroit Pistons big man Christian Wood, and four Brooklyn Nets players, highlighted by superstar Kevin Durant.

Sources: NBA has informed teams that players are allowed to travel out of market, but preference remains that players stay in cities they play. As expected, teams facilities will close down to players and staff starting tomorrow.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) March 19, 2020

The NBA has encouraged teams to check in on a daily basis with their players regardless of where they reside, and the league has reportedly asked for updates on where the players are traveling.

Mitchell is one player who has not remained in his host city since news of his positive test was made public. In a Twitch.tv stream with fellow NBA players on Wednesday, the Jazz guard indicated that he was back home, and wished Utahns well who had experienced an earthquake earlier in the day.

A little difficult to discern, but it seems Donovan Mitchell on his twitch stream with Josh Hart and De'Aaron Fox stated that he was not in Utah for the earthquake and is back home.

— Ben Anderson (@BensHoops) March 18, 2020

Practice Facilities Closed 

While the NBA has prohibited any group activities during the hiatus, team practice facilities were allowed to remain open for players to work on their games individually, or in one on one coaching situations. However, according to ESPN, practice facilities will soon be closed to all team members.

As of Friday, team facilities will close down league-wide.

“As much as franchises wanted players to have an outlet to come get work in,” Wojnarowski tweeted, “teams and league were uneasy about contact even in that limited environment.”

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• Avoid close contact with people who may be sick
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