DETROIT – The Detroit Pistons are dealing with a COVID outbreak, knocking out a big portion of their active roster for Sunday’s game vs. San Antonio and potentially beyond.
The Pistons will be without several players, including Cade Cunningham, Isaiah Stewart, Killian Hayes, Josh Jackson, Cory Joseph, Trey Lyles and Rodney McGruder. This is on top of Jerami Grant and Kelly Olynyk out due to unrelated injuries. Head coach Dwane Casey is also out.
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Saddiq Bey, Frank Jackson, Hamidou Diallo and Luka Garza are among those who are active tonight. They will be joined by several players on 10-day contracts or Pistons players assigned to the G-League.
Detroit has called up and signed several replacement players, mostly from their G-League team the Motor City Cruise, including former Wolverines guards Derrick Walton Jr. and Isaiah Livers (questionable to play), Cassius Stanley, Jamorko Pickett, Cheick Diallo, and Deividas Sirvydis, mostly using the NBA’s COVID-related hardship allowance.
This should give the Pistons nine players for Sunday’s game vs. San Antonio. Detroit is scheduled to play the Knicks in Detroit on Wednesday.
Several NBA teams are dealing with coronavirus outbreaks with many scrambling to sign replacement players.
Last week, the NBA and NBAPA agreed to new COVID testing protocols and masking to try and quell cases, agreeing to elevate testing for two weeks starting on December 26. Players and staff will be tested on game days except for those who received their booster shot 14-plus days earlier or recently recovered from the virus, the memo said. Players and staff will be required to wear masks on the benches, in the teams’ workout facilities and while traveling with the team, the memo said.