FILE –Lonzo Ball #2 of the Chicago Bulls watches his three as the bench joins in. Elsa/Getty Images/AFP
Reserve guard Matt Thomas on Wednesday became the fourth Chicago Bulls player currently in the COVID-19 health and safety protocols.
Thomas, who joins forwards DeMar DeRozan and Javonte Green and guard Coby White, is expected to miss several games, The Athletic reported.
The Bulls have road games this week against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday night and the Miami Heat on Saturday.
The NBA permits teams in this position to apply for a hardship exception, which includes the clearance to sign a player to the active roster. Chicago used the slot to add Stanley Johnson to the roster, but he might not join the team until Saturday in Miami.
Thomas, 27, has appeared in eight games in his first season with the Bulls. He has 12 points, five rebounds and two steals in 49 minutes.
He has career averages of 3.8 points, 1.2 rebounds and 8.7 minutes across 94 games (one start) with the Toronto Raptors (2019-21), Utah Jazz (2021) and Bulls.