Houston Rockets news: Russell Westbrook tests positive for COVID-19

Houston Rockets’ Russell Westbrook announces he has tested positive for Covid-19. He remains in quarantine and hopes to rejoin his team when permitted.

The Dallas Mavericks will still tip-off their eight-game NBA restart schedule against in-state rival the Houston Rockets on July 31st, but it may be without a key Rocket as guard Russell Westbrook announced Monday morning via social media that he has tested positive for Covid-19.

Neither Westbrook nor star James Harden traveled with the team to Orlando. Team officials did not address their absence beyond stating they were expected to join the team soon, according to reports. Additionally, the Rockets signed  Luc Mbah a Moute on Jul. 7.

Westbrook’s positive diagnosis is not the only news coming out of the Rockets camp today. ESPN reported earlier that forward Brun Caboclo “inadvertently broke quarantine and must  quarantine in his room for another eight  days before resuming team activities.”

There is no word on Westbrook’s status in the NBA’s COVID-19 testing protocol. Per league rules, positive players would be tested daily.  Once they produce two negative tests, they can join the team. Upon arrival, Westbrook would then need to undergo additional COVID-19 testing and an additional two-day self-quarantine, per NBA.com.

It is not known if Westbrook will be cleared in time to practice and participate in the July 31st match up, set for 9 p.m. EST on ESPN.

The Rockets have already held a couple of practices in Orlando and are scheduled to hold their first scrimmage of the Disney bubble against the defending champion Toronto Raptors on Friday, July 24th.

The Houston Rockets entered the NBA’s coronavirus-induced hiatus with a 40-24 record and sat sixth in the Western Conference standings. They’re a notch ahead of their opening night opponent, the Dallas Mavericks, who sit seventh in the conference with a 40-27 record.