Raptors Expecting To Have Some Players Out of COVID-19 Protocols on Wednesday

The Toronto Raptors are expecting to have everyone out of COVID-19 protocols and back in some capacity by next week

Aaron Rose | Mar 14, 2021

David Berding-USA TODAY Sports

Help is on the way.

The Toronto Raptors will be heading back to Tampa after Sunday night's game to pick up some of the players and coaches who remain out due to COVID-19 protocols, Nick Nurse said.

The team has been without Pascal Siakam, OG Anunoby, Fred VanVleet, Patrick McCaw, Malachi Flynn, and a handful of coaches since late February. The team's initial plan had been to stay in Chicago for Monday before heading to Detroit prior to playing the Pistons. But the organization has decided to make a quick pitstop in Tampa to retrieve the reinforcements before Wednesday's game.

"I would say later in the week we should have them all back," Nurse said Sunday. "I don't know in what capacity yet. I mean, 1-on-0 is still a ways away from being cleared, but it's kind of staggering. I think a couple guys were cleared yesterday. I think one or two more get cleared tomorrow and then one more after that and then there's still some time that needs to elapse from there."

That is great news for the Raptors who have dropped four straight without three of their five regular starters and sit in tenth place in the Eastern Conference at 17-21.

After returning to Tampa, the team will fly back out to Detroit for a Wednesday night tilt against the Pistons at 7 p.m.

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