Veteran guard Joe Johnson will return to the NBA after three years away after signing 10-day contract with the Boston Celtics, network’s Adrian Wojnarowski says ESPN.
Johnson should play on Wednesday night, against the Cleveland Cavaliers. He made his last game in the Western Conference Finals in 2018, while playing for the Houston Rockets.
The Celtics currently have seven players in the COVID-19 protocol. They were forced to sign 15-season veteran CJ Miles on a 10-day contract to complete their roster for Monday’s loss to the Philadelphia 76ers.
Johnson, 40, was drafted by the Celtics in 2001.
Elected seven times in the All-Star Game, he averaged 16 points in his 1,276 games in the NBA.
Another star in the protocol
Dallas Mavericks star Luka Doncic has entered COVID-19 protocol. Another star is therefore threatened with being absent for the traditional Christmas games in the NBA.
Doncic and Trey Burke entered protocols on Wednesday, joining teammates Tim Hardaway Jr, Maxi Kleber and Josh Green on the sidelines.
The Mavericks play Milwaukee on Thursday, and Utah on Saturday night in Salt Lake City in the last of five Christmas Day games scheduled by ESPN / ABC.
Players must perform consecutive negative tests within a 24 hour period or be sidelined for 10 days before they can resume play.
Doncic has missed five straight games with a sore ankle according to the team, but was scheduled to return against the Bucks on Thursday.
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