Taurean Prince tests positive for coronavirus, is out for rest of season: report
NEW YORK — And then there were seven.
The Nets withstood another blow to their roster on Tuesday as forward Taurean Prince tested positive for the coronavirus and will not travel with the team for the NBA’s season restart in Orlando, Fla., according to ESPN. He is the seventh Nets player who will not travel with the team, joining Kyrie Irving (shoulder), Kevin Durant (Achilles), Spencer Dinwiddie (coronavirus), DeAndre Jordan (coronavirus), Wilson Chandler (opted out) and rookie Nic Claxton (shoulder surgery).
Prince did not opt out of the Orlando bubble, as every player — healthy or not — retains as an option. He would have had to pass consecutive negative tests in Brooklyn, travel to Orlando separately, then quarantine again, which ESPN says would not have given him enough time to get into playing shape and join his team.
The NBA is set to begin its eight-game resumption of the regular season at Walt Disney World on July 31.
Prince started the majority of the season at power forward, where he averaged 12 points and six rebounds on 34% shooting from 3 and 37% shooting from the field. He was ultimately relegated to the bench in favor of Wilson Chandler, whose concerns about spreading the coronavirus to his family were his reasoning for opting out of the Orlando bubble.
The Nets currently have four open roster slots, though ESPN reports they are expected to sign forward Justin Anderson.
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