The Brooklyn Nets ruled four players out because of COVID-19 health and safety protocols on Tuesday morning for the game that night against the Toronto Raptors.
The Nets now have five players out due to those protocols after starting center LaMarcus Aldridge, starting swingman DeAndre' Bembry, power forward James Johnson and point guard Jevon Carter were added to the injury report Tuesday. They join veteran forward Paul Millsap, who was ruled out Monday under the protocols.
Shortly after they ruled out those four players Tuesday, the Nets added star forward Kevin Durant to the injury report as questionable to play against Toronto because of right ankle soreness.
The Nets will face the Raptors without five players as of Tuesday morning. Forward Joe Harris (ankle surgery) and point guard Kyrie Irving (not with team) were already out. Durant is coming off scoring an NBA season-high 51 points at Detroit on Sunday. The Nets will need him and James Harden, who did not play in that win over Detroit so he could rest.
Five Nets players entering health and safety protocols comes 10 days after Brooklyn faced the Chicago Bulls on Dec. 4. The Bulls were just starting a stretch in which their roster has been decimated by a COVID-19 outbreak.
Chicago had two games against Detroit and Toronto postponed -- the first games this season to be postponed. Chicago has had Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan, Troy Brown Jr., Coby White, Javonte Green, Matt Thomas, Derrick Jones Jr., Ayo Dosunmu, Stanley Johnson and Alize Johnson all enter the protocols.
Including its two-way players, Brooklyn has 10 available players for Tuesday night's game against Toronto and could get hardship relief in the form of three additional players, according to ESPN's Bobby Marks.