We are learning a little bit more about the finer points of the NBA’s upcoming restart at the end of July at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida. While there have been rumors of expanded rosters in the event of injury or a positive test for the coronavirus, the league remains resistant on allowing teams to carry more than the playoff maximum of 15 players on their roster, with two players being inactive, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski and Bobby Marks,
However, since teams are currently restricted to only 15 players, any two-way player would have to be flown to Orlando and quarantined for a period of time, probably one week. This is all subject to change and still being discussed.
Earlier in the weekend, Woj and Marks reported that the reason the NBA is against expanding rosters to 17 would be the potential of adding 44 more people to the bubble. As of Monday, that appears to still be the case, with the NBA insistent on keeping rosters at 15 currently, citing the advice of medical experts.
What does that mean for the Lakers and LeBron? Two-way players Kostas Antetokounmpo and Davtontae Cacok won’t be able to join the team, barring an injury or a positive test. Whomever they choose to replace someone in the event of an injury, that player will have to quarantine for a week at Disney World before becoming available to join the squad.
Some of the 22 teams currently have open roster spots and they could convert a two-way player into those spots, starting June 22.