LaMelo Ball, three other Hornets players enter NBA's COVID protocols

Charlotte Hornets starting guards LaMelo Ball and Terry Rozier have entered the league’s health and safety protocols and are expected to miss several games, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic. Frontcourt players Jalen McDaniels and Mason Plumlee have also been placed under protocols, the team’s PR department announced.

Those players will be sidelined for at least 10 days unless they record two negative tests in a 24-hour period. Charlotte is scheduled to play five games over the next 10 days — Sunday at Atlanta; two home games versus Philadelphia Monday and Wednesday; another home game versus Sacramento on Friday; and a road test against Dallas next Monday.

The team sent players and staff members home from the practice facility as a precautionary measure, per ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. If all have tested positive, the Hornets could sign another player under the hardship exception, ESPN’s Bobby Marks notes.

Charlotte is in the midst of a three-game losing streak but still has a winning record at 13-11. Ball had 36 points and nine assists against Milwaukee on Wednesday and is averaging 20.0 points, 8.3 assists and 7.7 rebounds in his second NBA campaign. Rozier is the team’s third-leading scorer at 17.7 points, 3.6 assists and 3.5 rebounds.

Until the duo returns, the Hornets will have to improvise in the backcourt with Ish Smith and Kelly Oubre Jr. likely to move into the starting lineup and Cody Martin and James Bouknight backing them up.

Plumlee has been sidelined with a calf injury since November 24 but was expected to return on Sunday. He’s averaging 6.8 points and 7.3 rebounds as a starter. McDaniels is averaging 5.5 points and 3.3 rebounds off the bench.