Trey Burke second Mavericks player to enter COVID protocols

Veteran guard Trey Burke is the second Mavericks player to enter the NBA’s health and safety protocols in recent days, joining fellow reserve Sterling Brown, the team’s PR department tweets.

As Callie Caplan of the Dallas Morning News observes (via Twitter), this is Burke’s fourth stint in the protocols this season — he had two stints in the fall for not participating in the daily testing requirement for unvaccinated players and a third in December when he contracted COVID-19.

Coach Jason Kidd stated after Brown tested positive that the team was hoping to avoid another outbreak before the playoffs.

“That’s just part of the league. That’s just part of the world is COVID now, right? So it happens. We move forward. Next guy up,” said Kidd, per Brad Townsend of the Dallas Morning News (Twitter link). “We just hope that it doesn’t spread throughout the team here late in the season. But we have to be prepared that something like this could happen going forward.”

The NBA was decimated by players entering the COVID-19 protocols back in December, with a record-breaking number of 10-day contracts handed out via the updated hardship exception to keep the season afloat and mostly remain on-schedule — there were a total of 11 postponed games, and all but one (Cavs at Hawks on March 31) have been played.

However, things have been much smoother since mid-February, with only All-Star Devin Booker entering the protocols earlier this month, followed by Brown and now Burke.

Through 39 games this season in a limited role (10.7 MPG), Burke is averaging 5.3 PPG and 1.3 APG on .395/.313/.870 shooting. He holds a player option next season for $3.3M. After beating Utah on Sunday, the Mavs have overtaken the Jazz for the No. 4 seed in the West with a 46-29 record.