NBA Rumors: Players, Team Staff ‘Essentially Entering In-Market Bubbles’

The NBA is experiencing the cons of not playing out this season in a bubble.

The league has no plans to pause its season after five games had to be postponed due to positive COVID-19 tests and contact tracing protocols.

Instead, it's tightening some protocols and apparently revisiting what worked so well in Walt Disney World: the whole quarantine from the rest of the world part.

ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski and The Athletic's Shams Charania on Tuesday reported a number of changes to the NBA's coronavirus policies that essentially have players and team staff quarantining at home and on the road going until at least Jan. 26.

On road, players and staff can’t leave hotel -- except for team activities or emergencies, sources tell ESPN. No more list of approved restaurants. https://t.co/fU7QnElnBq

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) January 12, 2021

For at least next 2 weeks, NBA players and team staff are essentially entering in-market bubbles:

- Home: Remain in residence at all times (except for exercise outside, essential activities, extraordinary circumstance)

- Road: Stay in hotel (unless team activity or emergency)

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) January 12, 2021

The NBA knew it would have some issues with COVID-19, so it released only the first half of its schedule to work in anything that came up.

We'll see how many games are going to have to be made up when it's all said and done.