The Chicago Bulls have a league high 10 players in the NBA’s health and safety protocol, where they have to be quarantined for at least 10 days and can only come back to play with a negative COVID-19 test. 

Guard Coby White and forward Javonte Green were the first two players to test positive back on Dec. 4. The team’s record before the outbreak was 15-8 and since then they have gone 2-2, losing two straight. The Bulls are ranked second in the Eastern conference only behind the Brooklyn Nets (20-8).

Bulls center Nikola Vucevic had just returned to play from testing positive for COVID-19 back in November, before the outbreak.

Bulls star DeMar Derozan was the third Chicago player to be put into the NBA’s health and safety protocol, only hours before they’re game against the Denver Nuggets on Dec. 6.

On Sunday, Dec. 12, two more Bulls players were added to the leagues health and safety protocol including star Zach LaVine and Troy Brown Jr.. The NBA was forced to postpone the Chicago Bulls next two games against the Detroit Pistons on Dec. 14 and against the Toronto Raptors on Dec. 16.

The most recent Bulls player to be sidelined was center Alize Johnson on Dec. 13. Johnson joins the full list of Chicago’s players in the NBA’s health and safety protocols which includes Zach LaVine, Troy Brown Jr., Ayo Dosunmu, Stanley Johnson, Derrick Jones Jr., Matt Thomas, DeMar Derozan, Coby White and Javonte Green.

Due to the outbreak, the Chicago Bulls have been forced to test their players and coaches multiple times a day. All players on the Chicago Bulls have been vaccinated so they have not faced many severe symptoms. 

The NBA requires teams to have eight active players to play a game, even though the Bulls have nine players active. The NBA doesn’t want this postponement to be a punishment but an opportunity for all the players to get back healthy and avoid another outbreak. 

The Bulls were able to play their first game against the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday, Dec. 19. The Bulls won 115-110, DeMar Derozan had a game-high 38-points and six assists.