| December 28, 2021, 12:36 PM
December 28, 2021, 12:36 PM
Brooklyn Nets stars Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and LaMarcus Aldridge have cleared health and safety protocols, the team announced Tuesday.
The trio entered protocols on Dec. 18 and were among up to 10 Nets players added to the protocols in the past two weeks. The team had three games postponed due to the number of players unavailable to play.
"These are unforeseen circumstances and I hate to say it, it's almost like we've gone back to six months, a year ago unfortunately with the cases rising," Nets general manager Sean Marks said on Dec. 18.
Durant leads the NBA with 29.7 points per game through 27 games this season. Aldridge, who briefly retired earlier this year due to a heart condition, is averaging 14 points through 25 games mostly off the bench.
Irving, who is unvaccinated, has been away from the team all season due to rules that prohibit him from playing home games in New York City due to his vaccination status. However, shortly before entering protocols, he and the team reached an agreement to allow him to re-join the club for road games.
"There's also a risk for Kyrie when a guy comes in and if they're not vaccinated," Marks said. "I don't want to get into those type of discussions but that's a risk for him coming into this environment, not just the team and so forth. But we're all well aware of the status and his status and moving forward and how we'll navigate this as best we can."
The Nets returned to the court this weekend, beating the Lakers on Christmas Day and the Clippers Monday. The team opens a three-game homestand on Thursday, meaning the first game Irving could be eligible to play in isn't scheduled until Jan. 5 in Indiana.
