John Wall, DeMarcus Cousins and "several" other Houston Rockets players are expected to miss their NBA season opener against the Oklahoma City Thunder due to COVID-19 contact tracing, The Athletic reports.
The Athletic reports that point guard John Wall and "several" other players were sent home Wednesday after a teammate tested positive for the coronavirus.
That teammate later was identified by ESPN as rookie forward Kenyon Martin Jr., a second-round pick in the 2020 NBA Draft.
Meanwhile star guard James Harden reportedly was being investigated by the team and the league for a potential COVID-19 protocol violation, and center DeMarcus Cousins is questionable for the game with a right ankle sprain.
ESPN reports that Wall tested negative for the coronavirus, but was among a group of players sent home due to a positive test for another teammate.
Wall, 30, a five-time All-Star point guard, joined the Rockets in the December 2 trade that sent Russell Westbrook to the Washington Wizards.
Cousins, 30, a four-time All-Star center, signed a one-year deal with Houston in free agency on November 30.
The Rockets could also potentially be without superstar guard James Harden, who is under investigation by the team and the league for potential COVID-19 protocol violations, after videos surfaced showing him purportedly partying maskless in a strip club earlier this week.
Houston's lineup was already missing guard/forward Ben McLemore, who is in self-isolation after testing positive several days ago, according to ESPN.
Reuters
