MINNEAPOLIS -- Los Angeles Lakers guards Russell Westbrook and Avery Bradley have entered the NBA's health and safety protocols, and the team plans to sign free agent Isaiah Thomas to a 10-day contract on Friday if granted a hardship exemption by the league, sources told ESPN on Thursday.
The hardship exemption was put into place by the league to allow a team to exceed the full 15-man roster limit if dealing with sickness or illness to at least four players simultaneously for a period of at least two weeks.
The Lakers now have five players -- Westbrook, Bradley, Talen Horton-Tucker, Dwight Howard and Malik Monk -- who have entered the league's COVID-19 protocols in the past 48 hours.