The NBA has been so damaged by positive COVID cases that NBA games are being postponed and rescheduled because teams do not have enough players to play. Many players have been put into Health and Safety Protocol has COVID cases have skyrocketed, not just in the NBA, but across the country and other sports leagues. The Brooklyn Nets have 9 players in Health and Safety Protocol. Now it has come to this.

The NBA and NBAPA have agreed to allow teams to sign replacement players because teams have so many players in the protocols. Teams only normally have replacement players when there is a labor dispute with the CBA. The question is how many of these players even have symptoms or a positive test? Just because a player is in the protocol does not mean that the player is positive for COVID. It is probably time for the NBA to stop testing every player for COVID unless the player displays symptoms.

Here is how the replacement player process works. A replacement player can be signed to a team for every one case of a positive COVID test. Teams will need to sign at least one replacement player if there are two positive cases, and at least two replacement players if there are three positive cases. If there are four or more positive cases, then teams will need to sign at least 3 replacement players.

Replacement players do not count toward s the salary cap of the team and does not add to the luxury tax as well.

The NBA is looking at a potentially watered-down league this winter leading up to the Christmas games and the All-Star break. Who wants to tune in to see replacement players? Last I checked the replacement players could still test positive for the virus and/or get put in Health and Safety Protocols as well. There is no doubt this is a golden opportunity for a player that otherwise would have little shot at making the NBA. If this becomes widespread across the NBA, the league will suffer. The Brooklyn Nets are already suffering with 9 players in the protocol. Can you imagine watching the Nets with a bunch of G League, or worse, like players playing in real NBA games?

This just further proves it is time to stop testing. False positives have happened, and some players have been tested up to eight times per week when they have no symptoms at all, and over 97% of NBA players are fully vaccinated and over 60% have received the boosters. COVID testing needs to end.