Here is the Celtics timeline for Jayson Tatum and others to return

On Tuesday, the NBA announced that a third consecutive game for the Boston Celtics would be postponed due to the COVID-19 protocols – Wednesday’s dispute against the Orlando Magic.

The Celtics have now been forced to postpone games against Magic, Chicago Bulls and Miami Heat due to positive test results and subsequent contact tracking. Boston will face Orlando again on Friday.

Will they have enough players? We cannot design anybody with a positive test or who will be forced to quarantine in the future, but we can make some assumptions about when players currently quarantined can return based on the league’s COVID protocols. Here is a look at the landscape.

Jayson Tatum

Tatum tested positive on Friday, according to Gary Washburn of the Globe. According to reports, he is asymptomatic.

Tatum was immediately isolated and is expected to be quarantined for 10 days, according to the league’s COVID protocols. As the test was positive, he will not be able to exercise during quarantine, even in isolation. After he leaves quarantine, Tatum will be required to undergo individual monitored exercises for two days before returning to the court, while he remains asymptomatic. If he shows symptoms, or if he is hospitalized, Tatum will be required to undergo three days of monitored exercise before returning.

If Tatum remains asymptomatic, he could start individual training again on Tuesday, but the two additional days would likely keep him in the Celtics game next Wednesday against the Philadelphia 76ers.

Jaylen Brown

Brown was removed due to contact with Tatum as part of the league’s contact tracking protocol. On Tuesday night, it was not clear whether Brown tested positive or not. Otherwise, your initial contact must be made from Friday. Kevin Durant was forced to quarantine for seven days due to contact tracking. If Brown continues with the negative test, it may be available again on Saturday.

Semi Ojeleye

Like Brown, Ojeleye’s contact tracking started on Friday. If the test is not positive, it may be available again on Saturday.

Javonte Green

Along with Brown and Ojeleye, Green was dropped due to contact tracking with Tatum and may be available again on Saturday if he returns negative tests. He has now been forced to quarantine due to health and safety protocols twice this season.

Robert Williams

Williams tested positive, but was supposedly asymptomatic, which means that his trajectory must be the same as Tatum’s. Williams showed up to test positive on Thursday, which is when the Celtics listed him as “questionable” in the injury report due to health and safety protocols (presumably, the Celtics was waiting for a second positive test, which would explain the designation “questionable”)

Due to the two extra days of monitored exercise required for an asymptomatic player with a positive test, Williams will not be available this weekend. If your positive test were Thursday, your second day of monitored exercises would be Tuesday, which could – in theory – eliminate you before Wednesday’s game. This, of course, assumes that Williams feels well enough to play.

Grant Williams

Williams was ruled out due to contact tracking with Robert Williams (by Gary Washburn, both Grant and Robert Williams, as well as Tristan Thompson were unmasked in a car with Carsen Edwards, who wore a mask). If Grant Williams is not positive, and if Robert Williams’ positive test was indeed on Thursday, Grant may be available again on Friday, when the Celtics are scheduled to face the Orlando Magic.

Tristan Thompson

Like Grant and Robert Williams, Thompson was considered questionable on Thursday, and then withdrawn on Friday due to contact tracking. Like Grant Williams, he could be available on Friday, which would help the Celtics get a list.

An unnamed player

We don’t know who the final player is or whether he was eliminated due to a positive test or contact tracking. Presumably, however, that final player was not part of Tatum’s contact tracking, since the Celtics were prepared to play Sunday’s game against Heat with him (whoever) in the lineup. On Monday afternoon, the unidentified player was dropped, which forced Tuesday’s postponement.

If we assume that the player’s test was positive on Monday and is asymptomatic, his best scenario for a comeback is January 24th. If the player was excluded due to contact tracking and continues to test negative, he will be available again on January 19