The New Orleans Pelicans have had three players test positive for COVID-19.
Those players are in self isolation and are being tested daily. Those players may only return to the team after two days of negative tests.
David Griffin declined to comment on which players tested positive.
The three positive tests from the Pelicans are part of the 16 announced by the NBA last week.
The NBA released its schedule for the rest of the 2020 regular season starting on July 30th in Orlando.
The season will resume with a Friday doubleheader featuring the Jazz vs. the Pelicans and Lakers vs. the Clippers.
All regular season games will take place between July 30th and August 14th.
The remaining schedule is below (in Eastern time):
Thursday, July 30
Utah vs. New Orleans, 6:30 p.m.
LA Clippers vs. L.A. Lakers, 9 p.m.
Friday, July 31
Orlando vs. Brooklyn, 2:30 p.m.
Memphis vs. Portland, 4 p.m.
Phoenix vs. Washington, 4 p.m.
Boston vs. Milwaukee, 6:30 p.m.
Sacramento vs. San Antonio, 8 p.m.
Houston vs. Dallas, 9 p.m.
Saturday, Aug. 1
Miami vs. Denver, 1 p.m.
Utah vs. Oklahoma City, 3:30 p.m.
New Orleans vs. LA Clippers, 6 p.m.
Philadelphia vs. Indiana, 7 p.m.
L.A. Lakers vs. Toronto, 8:30 p.m.
Sunday, Aug. 2
Washington vs. Brooklyn, 2 p.m.
Portland vs. Boston, 3:30 p.m.
San Antonio vs. Memphis, 4 p.m.
Sacramento vs. Orlando, 6 p.m.
Milwaukee vs. Houston, 8:30 p.m.
Dallas vs. Phoenix, 9 p.m.
Monday, Aug. 3
Toronto vs. Miami, 1:30 p.m.
Denver vs. Oklahoma City, 4 p.m.
Indiana vs. Washington, 4 p.m.
Memphis vs. New Orleans, 6:30 p.m.
San Antonio vs. Philadelphia, 8 p.m.
L.A. Lakers vs. Utah, 9 p.m.
Tuesday, Aug. 4
Brooklyn vs. Milwaukee, 1:30 p.m.
Dallas vs. Sacramento, 2:30 p.m.
Phoenix vs. LA Clippers, 4 p.m.
Orlando vs. Indiana, 6 p.m.
Boston vs. Miami, 6:30 p.m.
Houston vs. Portland, 9 p.m.
Wednesday, Aug. 5
Memphis vs. Utah, 2:30 p.m.
Philadelphia vs. Washington, 4 p.m.
Denver vs. San Antonio, 4 p.m.
Oklahoma City vs. L.A. Lakers, 6:30 p.m.
Toronto vs. Orlando, 8 p.m.
Brooklyn vs. Boston, 9 p.m.
Thursday, Aug. 6
New Orleans vs. Sacramento, 1:30 p.m.
Miami vs. Milwaukee, 4 p.m.
Indiana vs. Phoenix, 4 p.m.
LA Clippers vs. Dallas, 6:30 p.m.
Portland vs. Denver, 8 p.m.
L.A. Lakers vs. Houston, 9 p.m.
Friday, Aug. 7
Utah vs. San Antonio, 1 p.m.
Oklahoma City vs. Memphis, 4 p.m.
Sacramento vs. Brooklyn, 5 p.m.
Orlando vs. Philadelphia, 6:30 p.m.
Washington vs. New Orleans, 8 p.m.
Boston vs. Toronto, 9 p.m.
Saturday, Aug. 8
LA Clippers vs. Portland, 1 p.m.
Utah vs. Denver, 3:30 p.m.
L.A. Lakers vs. Indiana, 6 p.m.
Phoenix vs. Miami, 7:30 p.m.
Milwaukee vs. Dallas, 8:30 p.m.
Sunday, Aug. 9
Washington vs. Oklahoma City, 12:30 p.m.
Memphis vs. Toronto, 2 p.m.
San Antonio vs. New Orleans, 3 p.m.
Orlando vs. Boston, 5 p.m.
Philadelphia vs. Portland, 6:30 p.m.
Houston vs. Sacramento, 8 p.m.
Brooklyn vs. LA Clippers, 9 p.m.
Monday, Aug. 10
Oklahoma City vs. Phoenix, 2:30 p.m.
Dallas vs. Utah, 3 p.m.
Toronto vs. Milwaukee, 6:30 p.m.
Indiana vs. Miami, 8 p.m.
Denver vs. L.A. Lakers, 9 p.m.
Tuesday, Aug. 11
Brooklyn vs. Orlando, 1 p.m.
Houston vs. San Antonio, 2 p.m.
Phoenix vs. Philadelphia, 4:30 p.m.
Portland vs. Dallas, 5 p.m.
Boston vs. Memphis, 6:30 p.m.
New Orleans vs. Sacramento, 9 p.m.
Milwaukee vs. Washington, 9 p.m.
Wednesday, Aug. 12
Indiana vs. Houston, 4 p.m.
Toronto vs. Philadelphia, 6:30 p.m.
Miami vs. Oklahoma City, 8 p.m.
LA Clippers vs. Denver, 9 p.m.
Thursday, Aug. 13
Washington vs. Boston, TBA
Portland vs. Brooklyn, TBA
Sacramento vs. L.A. Lakers, TBA
Milwaukee vs. Memphis, TBA
New Orleans vs. Orlando, TBA
Dallas vs. Phoenix, TBA
San Antonio vs. Utah, TBA
Friday, Aug. 14
Philadelphia vs. Houston, TBA
Miami vs. Indiana, TBA
Oklahoma City vs. LA Clippers, TBA
Denver vs. Toronto, TBA
Multiple league sources have denied to ESPN that the NBA went out of its way to include the New Orleans Pelicans in the return-to-play plan in order to feature Zion Williamson.
But other league sources expect Williamson and the Pelicans to be featured prominently in their national television schedule.
"I would think any time they play -- you can put it on a Tuesday night, whenever -- people will watch that game," a Western Conference executive said of having Williamson playing inside the bubble.
"It's obvious a ton of people will watch just to watch him," another Western Conference executive said. "Go back and look at how full the arena was at summer league to go watch him play. It will be huge."
Nine of his 19 games were nationally televised, with those games averaging 30% more viewers than an average national TV broadcast this season.
"Compared to most other young players, [the league is] invested in him," an Eastern Conference executive said. "There are few of these guys that, instead of just being popular within basketball, can expand the relevance of the NBA. They hope he can do that for them."
If the Pelicans qualify for the playoffs, they would almost certainly play the Los Angeles Lakers in the first round.
"[The NBA] would love to have a Michael Jordan versus the '86 Celtics moment in the first round," the executive continued. "If they could get their ideal world, that's what they would want."
Zion Williamson has been a regular at the New Orleans Pelicans' practice facility throughout the suspension of the season as he received an exception to rehab injuries under the supervision of team trainers.
"Zion has been diligent about taking care of himself," said David Griffin. "He's in a good space physically and mentally."
Another team source went further with assessing Williamson.
"He's going to shock some people," the source said.
The Pelicans have been stressing pliability for Williamson.
"We were fortunate," Griffin said. "They're able to do a lot of the things that they needed to do from a strength and conditioning pliability standpoint."
The Pelicans are encouraged for Williamson and their young core to play meaningful basketball.
"Those reps against the best players on a bigger stage will be meaningful for Zion certainly as a 19-year-old," Griffin said while also noting the team's other young players. "I think it's important for those guys to play some meaningful-slash-playoff basketball."
Host Danny Leroux (@DannyLeroux) and Seth Partnow of The Athletic (@SethPartnow) discuss the NBA’s return to action.
They discuss the consequences of adding seeding games on top of a full playoffs, potential effects for next season, which teams have the most on the line when play resumes and much more.
Sponsored by BetOnline
New Orleans Pelicans Wiretap RSS Feed