The NBA has not been testing players for recreational drug use during the suspension of the 2019-20 season, and the league will reportedly continue with that approach when the season resumes.
According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, the NBA will test players for performance-enhancing drug use in Orlando but will not be administering tests for recreational drugs.
Sources: The NBA and NBPA have agreed to conduct performance-enhancing drug testing during resumed 2019-20 season in Orlando — but tests for recreational drugs will remain suspended.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 8, 2020
Players will also be tested frequently for COVID-19, but that was a given. They will not be forced to remain in the “bubble” that the NBA has set up at Walt Disney World, but Charania was told any player who chooses to leave the campus will have to quarantine for a minimum of 10 days upon returning. The player will also have to test negative for the coronavirus twice before being cleared.
Sources: Expected protocol if an NBA player leaves the Orlando bubble: Quarantined for no less than 10 days and must have two negative coronavirus tests.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 8, 2020
We’ve already shared some details with you about what life will be like in the bubble, and it sounds like players are going to be discouraged from leaving. When games begin, they obviously can’t leave because they would have to quarantine upon returning. That could be challenging, but it is something the union has agreed to.
