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Jayson Tatum among NBA players reluctant to play in Orlando: report

Jayson Tatum is reportedly among the contingent of NBA players who are reluctant to return to play the rest of the season, due to concerns over his contract.

Feb 3, 2020; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum (0) breaks up the court after a steal against the Atlanta Hawks during the second half at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

By 98.5 The Sports Hub Staff

According to a new report by Stefan Bondy in the New York Daily News, Celtics forward Jayson Tatum is among the contingent of players expressing reluctance to play under the NBA's plan to resume the season in a "bubble" in Orlando. The reason, according to Bondy, is to protect himself from injury because he's in line for a max contract in the offseason.

There are other potential reasons for why NBA players aren't warming to the idea of the Orlando bubble, the COVID-19 spike in Florida among them. There's also the matter of Kyrie Irving, who said he's willing to give up everything he has to protest in the fight against injustice that the country is waging right now.

Despite Tatum's reported concerns about his next contract, Bondy spoke with ESPN cap expert Bobby Marks about the grim financial implications of cancelling the NBA season altogether. Per Marks, the NBA and players have already lost $380 million in an Escrow account that was to be used to disburse income from revenue sharing.

Marks believes that, even with a completed season, the losses will total $580 million - and could balloon to $1.3 billion if the season is called off.

Florida has seen a sharp rise in coronavirus cases in the past two weeks. Compared to 966 new cases on June 8, the state reported 2,783 new cases on June 16 - an increase of 288 percent.

Indoor venues with controlled environments haven't been immune. WWE recently had to postpone TV tapings after a developmental talent tested positive for COVID-19. The star was reportedly at the company's training facilities on June 9.

It's unclear at this point whether the growing player reluctance will affect the resumption of the season, expected in late July.

Follow the Boston Celtics and the NBA at 985TheSportsHub.com.

Matt, a North Andover, Massachusetts native, has been with The Sports Hub since 2010. Growing up the son of Boston University All-American and Melrose High School hall-of-fame hockey player Steve Dolloff, sports was always a part of his life. After attending Northeastern University, Matt focused his love of sports on writing, extensively writing about all four major Boston teams. He also is a co-host of the Sports Hub Underground podcast and is a regular on-air contributor on the Sports Hub. Matt writes about all New England sports from Patriots football to Boston Celtics and Boston Bruins.

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