Adrian Wojnarowski reported Tuesday afternoon that both Fred VanVleet and Malachi Flynn have entered the NBA’s health and safety protocols, increasing the total to five players having been flagged for the Toronto Raptors. The two guards — at this point, numbers one and two on the depth chart — join Pascal Siakam, Gary Trent Jr., and Dalano Banton on the sideline as the omicron wave continues to spread across North America.
The NBA’s response to the incredible spike of sidelined players — a list which includes a number of stars — has been to open up the flood gates for G-League and former players to debut and return to the league via hardship exceptions, just in time for the league’s Christmas day marathon.