Ten NBA referees are sidelined due to health and safety protocols related to COVID-19, according to ESPN's Baxter Holmes.
Another referee is also sidelined due to injury, per ESPN.
This marks the most NBA referees to be out at the same time due to health and safety protocols this season, Monty McCutchen, the NBA's vice president of referee development and training, told ESPN. Most of the absences come from contact tracing, according to ESPN.
The referees sidelined include "veteran officials typically assigned to the NBA Finals," in Holmes's words. They are all reportedly expected to return for in time for the playoffs.