The NBA has been hit with a wave of positive COVID-19 cases this month. The Detroit Pistons haven’t been spared.
Josh Jackson and Cory Joseph entered the league’s health and safety protocols on Sunday, a league source confirmed to the Free Press. They are the seventh and eighth players on the roster to enter protocols within the last five days, depleting the roster and forcing the front office to sign additional players to continue playing.
More: What Pistons must target at deadline, regardless of Jerami Grant’s fate
More:Pistons sign ex-Michigan G Derrick Walton, Cassius Stanley to 10-day deals
Cade Cunningham became the first Piston this season to enter protocols last Wednesday. Killian Hayes, Isaiah Stewart, Saben Lee and Rodney McGruder joined him on Thursday, and Trey Lyles was added to the list late Saturday evening.
With Jerami Grant, Kelly Olynyk and two-way forward Chris Smith recovering from injuries, Detroit’s roster has been severely hobbled. Saddiq Bey, Frank Jackson, Hamidou Diallo, Luka Garza and two-way forward Jamorko Pickett are Detroit’s remaining healthy players. Isaiah Livers is questionable as he continues to recover from a foot injury.
[ Here’s how you can gain access to our most exclusive Pistons content. Read more on the Detroit Pistons and sign up for our Pistons newsletter. ]
The Pistons have signed Motor City Cruise forward Cheick Diallo and Cruise guards Derrick Walton Jr. and Cassius Stanley to 10-day contracts using the NBA’s COVID-related hardship allowance. If Livers is able to play, it would give them nine healthy players ahead of their Sunday matchup against the San Antonio Spurs — one more than the NBA’s minimum eight player requirement.
The Athletic initially reported that Josh Jackson and Joseph are in protocols.
Contact Omari Sankofa II at osankofa@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @omarisankofa. The Free Press has started a new digital subscription model.