Report: John Wall and DeMarcus Cousins to Miss Rockets' Opener Due to COVID-19 Contact Tracing


The Rockets open their 2020-21 season against the Thunder on Wednesday night.

Stars John Wall and DeMarcus Cousins will miss the Rockets' season opener against the Thunder on Wednesday due to COVID-19 contact tracing, according to The Athletic's Shams Charania

Charania reports Houston could possibly be without more players as a result of the contact tracing. 

Per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, Wall has tested negative for the virus but is among a group of Rockets players sent home on Wednesday because of a teammates' positive test. That player will be tested again to confirm if he's contracted the coronavirus, sources told Wojnarowski.

Houston announced on Tuesday that reserve guard Ben McLemore is in self-isolation and will miss the opener. According to Wojnarowski, McLemore tested positive for COVID-19 "days ago" and isn't the teammate that initiated the team's contact tracing on Wednesday.

The NBA's medical handbook states players must self-isolate if "he either 1. returned a positive or inconclusive coronavirus test result and has not yet been fully cleared to resume basketball activities, or 2 is currently subject to a COVID-19 related quarantine (e.g., has not tested positive for the coronavirus but has been directed by his team and/or the NBA to quarantine pursuant to the health and safety protocols)."

The news comes as the Rockets were looking to move past their tumultuous offseason in the new 2020-21 season. 

However, James Harden's status for the game is up in the air while the team is working with the NBA office to review a video of him at a recent Christmas party held at a club. The date of the video, which circulated on social media via Black Sports Online earlier this week, is unconfirmed. If it is deemed to be recent, it could put the Rockets star in violation of the league's COVID-19 protocols.

Harden responded to the report on Wednesday afternoon.

"One thing after another. I went to show love to my homegirl at her event (not a strip club) because she is becoming a boss and putting her people in position of success and now it's a problem [sic]," he wrote online. "No matter how many times people try to drag my name under you can't."

As noted in the league's health and safety protocols, a failure to comply with protocols could result in individual disciplinary action by the NBA or team and could result in a warning, fine and/or suspension.