Sacramento Kings: Harrison Barnes tests positive for COVID-19

Sacramento Kings forward Harrison Barnes has tested positive for COVID-19.

The Sacramento Kings have been hit particularly hard by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and they were dealt yet another blow with the announcement about forward Harrison Barnes.

Barnes announced on Tuesday that he had officially tested positive for COVID-19 ahead of the team’s departure to Orlando last week. Fortunately, Barnes indicated that he has been primarily asymptomatic to this point.

Nonetheless, he has been following proper quarantine protocols and obviously hasn’t been able to join his team in Orlando yet.

Barnes detailed his positive test and his plan to rejoin the team in a post on Twitter.

It’s unclear when Barnes actually tested positive meaning that we don’t exactly know the full timetable for his return. But using context clues, we could probably determine a roundabout date.

The Kings’ practice facility went into lockdown on July 4th or 5th after a member of the team’s traveling party tested positive. If that was the date of the positive test, then that would mean Barnes would be out until at least July 18th or 19th.

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Even in that best-case scenario, that would be dangerously close to the scrimmage portion of the Kings’ schedule which is set to begin on the 22nd. The actual regular season is set to return on the 31st, and one would hope Barnes would be good to go by then.

But considering that we don’t know when he tested positive, there’s no way of saying for sure.

The Sacramento Kings have been incredibly unfortunate over the past couple of weeks.

Barnes is the fourth Kings player to test positive in recent weeks following the likes of Buddy Hield, Jabari Parker, and Alex Len. Meanwhile, big man Richaun Holmes was recently forced into quarantine despite not actually testing positive.

Holmes reportedly violated bubble rules and went outside the allotted zone. As a result, he will be forced to quarantine as well.

If Barnes is forced to miss any time, expect Kent Bazemore to step up and fill his role in the starting lineup. The likes of Corey Brewer and Justin James would then serve as the primary backups on the wing.

Here’s to hoping that we see Barnes back on the floor by the resumption of the season later this month.