Jalen Smith out for Suns due to health and safety protocols

Phoenix Suns rookie big man Jalen Smith is out for Friday’s game against the Detroit Pistons due to health and safety protocols.

Head coach Monty Williams after practice on Thursday could not comment on if Smith had tested positive for COVID-19, if it was for contact tracing, or how long Smith could be out.

“It is what it is. I can’t add any more to the statement that’s been put out,” Williams said.

Smith did not play in Wednesday’s win over the Toronto Raptors after missing the team’s last five games due to a left ankle sprain but was on the bench with his team.

If a player tests positive for the coronavirus, the NBA’s protocols require a player to spend at least 10 days away from the team, per ESPN’s Tim Bontemps. Once a player has done that and registered enough negative tests, the player will work individually for two days and then go through a cardiac test before returning. That means it’s a 12-day minimum absence.

For contact tracing, the Brooklyn Nets’ Kevin Durant was recently required to a seven-day quarantine after exposure to someone who tested positive, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

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