NBA News: Sixers Cannot Practice as a Team For Quite Some Time

Right now, the NBA is trying to come up with a plan. As the coronavirus affects the country and specifically the National Basketball Association, we're all stuck in a situation that nobody could ever guess we would be caught up in before the 2019-2020 season began.

Despite it being March, there are no NBA games slated. This situation is like the offseason without the trade/free agency rumors, and the summer league with games scheduled. All transactions around the league are frozen. All games are currently postponed, and players cannot even join their teammates for an organized practice for the time being.

Last week, when the NBA shut down on Wednesday night, the league initially anticipated letting teams hold practices during the dark period. However, the rules have changed since then. With three players testing positive for COVID-19 so far, the NBA has had to take things in a different direction.

First, they changed their minds about allowing teams to practice as a unit right away. Instead, teams were forbidden from holding practices until Monday, March 16th. With that target date present, once again, the league switched its stance.

For the time being, all NBA teams are banned from practicing together indefinitely, according to ESPN's Tim Bontemps. While select teams have been permitted to open their team's facility doors for players, everybody who attends is only allowed to indulge in individualized workouts.

When it comes to the Sixers, however, they are still forbidden to open up their doors for workouts in Camden, New Jersey. After facing the Detroit Pistons, who played the Utah Jazz just days before last Wednesday's game, Sixers players were suggested to self-quarantine for the next 14 days.

The organization will likely make the team's facilities open to its players when the 14-day mark is up to comply with the NBA's rules, but it's still unclear when the Sixers and the rest of the NBA will be allowed to practice as a team once again.

As teams continue to test their players, the league is probably waiting to see if any more positive tests come about. If not, then a new temporary policy will likely be set in place. For now, though, players are stuck with individual workouts until further notice, and the Sixers are stuck in quarantine until next Wednesday.

Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated. You can follow him on Twitter: @JGrasso_