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And now, Taurean Prince.
Adrian Wojnarowski reported that Prince, who had been one of 12 healthy Nets (if you include Justin Anderson who hasn’t officially been signed) tested positive Tuesday for coronavirus. Adrian Wojnarowski first reported the news...
Prince is the fourth Nets player – including DeAndre Jordan, Spencer Dinwiddie and Wilson Chandler – to opt-out of the league’s restart. Nets are eligible to sign four substitute players. Team departed this evening for Orlando. https://t.co/CC7nMZFm4i
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 7, 2020
Woj also explained how Prince’s situation is different from others, saying the Nets swingman was “declared out” of Orlando because “the late-timing of his positive test put his build-up back to basketball in jeopardy; in his case, it is not an ‘opt out.’”
This news of course comes hours after the Nets and Spencer Dinwiddie agreed that he should not fly with the team in Orlando.
Prince, 26, becomes the seventh Brooklyn player to test positive, four back in March and now three in the past week. So fully half the team has been infected at one point or another in the last four months. No other team has more than four players who’ve tested positive. The four who tested positive in March, including Kevin Durant have long been cleared.
The Nets now have three roster openings that can be filled by “substitute” players. In addition, Justin Anderson, who has agreed to join the Nets as a replacement for Wilson Chandler, has yet to officially sign. Bringing players to the “bubble” after the team arrives is more cumbersome, requiring longer quarantines, meaning less practice time for the re-opening which for the Nets is July 31.
Marc Stein reported earlier Tuesday that the Nets had veteran big Amir Johnson on their radar as a replacement back-up in the front court. Johnson, a 33-year-old veteran of the NBA, didn’t play at all this season. He last played for the 76ers in 2018-19.
Similarly, Ian Begley of SNY reported that the Nets are looking at veteran and former Knicks captain Lance Thomas, a 6’8” combo forward. Like Johnson, Thomas didn’t play this season other than a short stint in preseason with the Nets. He’s 32.
- Sources: Nets’ Taurean Prince declared out of restart after positive coronavirus test - Adrian Wojnarowski - ESPN
- Nets will look unrecognizable in Orlando as more players opt out - Howie Kussoy - New York Post
- Taurean Prince tests positive for coronavirus, is out for rest of season: report - Kristian Winfield - New York Daily News
- Taurean Prince the latest Net to opt out of NBA restart after testing positive for coronavirus - Scott Thompson - SNY