LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. – A week after the New Orleans Pelicans granted Zion Williamson permission to leave the NBA campus because of what he called “an urgent family matter,” they said in a statement that “there is no current schedule for his return. ” to campus. “
Still, the Pelicans added that Williamson “intends to join the team.” When that will be seems uncertain. It also seems uncertain when Williamson could start practicing and playing games.
Under NBA health and safety protocols, players may leave the league campus “only with prior league approval for such extenuating circumstances.” Normally, players would have to spend an additional 10 days in quarantine. But the Pelicans said Williamson “has been screened daily by COVID-19 while away from the team and continues to produce negative results.”
When a player meets that criteria, he can only spend four days in quarantine after returning.
The Pelicans will play without Williamson in their first game Wednesday against the Brooklyn Nets (7 pm ET). He wouldn’t be allowed to play in Saturday’s scrimmage against the Denver Nuggets (8:30 p.m. ET) if he returned this week.
Williamson still has a chance to play in the Pelicans’ third and final game against Milwaukee on July 27. The Pelican will then resume its season on July 30 against the Utah Jazz.
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