(670 The Score) The Bulls now have seven players in the NBA’s health and safety protocols as their COVID-19 outbreak continues.
Rookie guard Ayo Dosunmu and recently signed forward Stanley Johnson on Saturday entered the protocols, according to the league’s injury report. That will leave the Bulls (17-9) with 11 available players when they visit the Heat on Saturday evening, as guard Alex Caruso is set to return from his hamstring injury. Two of the Bulls’ available players are on two-way contracts, and another just joined the team Friday.
Guard Coby White, forward Javonte Green, wing DeMar DeRozan, guard Matt Thomas and forward Derrick Jones Jr. were already in the health protocols. Players generally have to spend 10 or more days in the protocols unless they test negative twice 24 hours apart.
"We've got a lot of guys sitting at home with no symptoms right now," coach Billy Donovan said Saturday evening. "I understand the testing protocols and I understand what the league is trying to do in terms of keeping and making sure everybody is safe. But we do have guys back there that feel fine, and that's obviously a good thing too. Because I think when guys have gone through the difficulty of getting really, really sick, it's really made it a lot harder for them coming back. So we do have some guys that have felt under the weather. We have some guys that have very, very mild symptoms and some guys just don't have any."
Jones has returned from Miami to Chicago after landing in the protocols Thursday, Donovan said. Donovan believed Jones flew back home after a couple of Bulls recently had to go on long drives home after landing in the virus protocols while on the road.
White could be nearing his return, as he originally landed in the protocols on Dec. 1. After Saturday, the Bulls don’t play again until Tuesday.
In recent days, the Bulls added two players – Johnson and forward Alfonzo McKinnie – via hardship exceptions, which the NBA generally grants to teams when four or more players are set to miss three or more games.
"We need a hardship for a hardship right now," Donovan said of the Bulls' situation.
DeRozan and Green are starters when the Bulls are fully healthy. In their absence, Jones and Dosunmu had received starting opportunities, but the Bulls will now have to once again pivot.
"We should be excited to play the game," Donovan said when asked how the Bulls are handling their tough situation. "It's the NBA, and all of us dreamed of being here."
The Bulls are fully vaccinated as a team and all have been offered booster shots, NBC Sports Chicago previously reported.
Cody Westerlund is a sports editor for 670TheScore.com and covers the Bulls. Follow him on Twitter @CodyWesterlund.